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OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced new border security measures as part of the federal government’s upcoming 2025 budget, including the hiring of 1,000 new Canada Border Services Agency officers and expanded benefits for frontline first responders.
The new hires will target the movement of stolen goods, illegal guns, and drugs, as well as unfair trade practices. The government will also raise the CBSA recruit stipend for the first time since 2005, increasing it from $125 to $525 per week to help attract and retain new officers.
The budget will propose changes to the Public Service Superannuation Act to allow CBSA officers and other frontline workers, such as firefighters, paramedics, search and rescue personnel, and correctional officers, to retire after 25 years of service without pension reductions. The change is intended to recognize the high-stress and high-risk nature of their work.
The new measures are part of a broader federal effort to strengthen Canada’s borders and internal security. Carney’s government has pledged to expand CBSA operations at key air, land, rail, and marine ports of entry, and to increase enforcement against organized crime, human smuggling, immigration fraud, and terrorism.
Finance and National Revenue Minister François-Philippe Champagne said the measures will form part of the 2025 budget, to be tabled in the House of Commons on November 4. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree added that the investment will ensure CBSA has the resources it needs to protect the country’s borders and keep Canadians safe.
The announcement follows a series of recent security-focused initiatives, including a plan to hire 1,000 new RCMP personnel and introduce tougher bail and sentencing measures for violent and repeat offenders. The government has also introduced Bill C-12, the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act, which seeks to combat transnational crime, stop the flow of fentanyl, and improve immigration integrity.
The federal government says the initiatives reflect its goal of building a stronger, more secure Canada in an increasingly unstable world.
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