Letters to the Editor

2005

October 31, 2005

National Post
Doug Kelly, Editor-in-Chief
300 - 1450 Don Mills Road,
Don Mills, Ontario
Canada
M3B 3R5

Dear Doug Kelly,

I am writing in reference to the article published on October 31, 2005 entitled Quotas Trump Security.

We need to be clear about the role of the Canada Border Services Agency's Border Management Plan. The plan is reviewed annually using intelligence, threat analysis, and local knowledge to assist managers in focusing on high-risk shipments and individuals as we ensure the safety and security of Canadian citizens, our number one priority.

The plan is not a quota but provides a framework for field operations. At no time would it override a response to an immediate emerging high-risk threat. The goals in the Plan are neither artificial nor limiting but consider the type of traffic encountered at particular points of service. Sound risk analysis is the basis of modern border management processes.

Moreover, the Canada Border Services Agency encourages intelligence-based examinations of targeted high-risk shipments.

I trust the forgoing clarifies any misconceptions of how the Canada Border Services Agency manages our country's borders.

Sincerely yours,

Barbara Hébert
Vice President, Operations
Canada Border Services Agency