Review of the Immigration Control
Officer Network – Final Report

3.0 Findings

The ICO Network has grown since its inception as a CELOs network in 1989 with 10 positions, to 34 ICO positions and nine de facto ICO positions abroad. The Network has achieved significant results, including the following:

  • improved relationships with other countries facing similar immigration issues;
  • reduced the number of inappropriately documented passengers to Canada;
  • decreased the number of illegal entries to Canada (while there are no factual data to support this statement, it has been confirmed by CIC staff and representatives of many of the countries analysed);
  • collaborated with other countries to deliver some airline training and to conduct interdiction activities;
  • participated in joint operations (such as Operation Foresight) with Australia, the United Kingdom (U.K.) and the United States (U.S.) to reduce inappropriately documented arrivals; and
  • developed an intelligence reporting structure and well respected intelligence reports.

Many of these results were realized during Program Review and its associated resource cuts, with very limited resources at HQ.

Despite increased international irregular migration pressure, Canadian interdiction initiatives continue to be successful in limiting the number of improperly documented arrivals (IDAs) at major Canadian airports. The majority of the IDAs arrive undocumented.

The following table illustrates the overall success of the interdiction program over the last decade. The arrivals column indicates the number of IDAs who arrived at major Canadian airports. The intercept column indicates the number of IDAs who were stopped before they boarded a flight destined for Canada. Traffic is the sum of arrivals and intercepts. The final column, intercept rate, is the percentage of IDA traffic intercepted.

Overall Success of the Interdiction Program1

Year Arrivals Intercepts Traffic Intercept Rate
1991 1,652 1,127 2,779 41%
1992 1,480 1,107 2,587 43%
1993 825 909 1,734 52%
1994 665 878 1,543 57%
1995 961 1,082 2,043 53%
1996 987 952 1,939 49%
1997 889 962 1,851 52%
1998 970 1,522 2,492 61%
1999 1,072 1,223 2,295 53%
2000 828 1,222 2,050 59%
Variance 1991-2000 -50% 8% -26% 18%

As shown, IDAs declined by 50 percent between 1991 and 2000. During the same time period, interceptions increased by 8 percent. The overall number of inadmissible passengers—IDAs plus intercepts—seeking to come directly to Canada has decreased by over one quarter. This statistic indicates the ICO program is reducing IDA arrivals.

Based on the review, the following issues and findings are discussed in this report, followed by recommendations:

  • management framework;
  • roles and responsibilities;
  • allocations of ICOs;
  • planning and reporting;
  • personnel selection process;
  • de facto ICOs;
  • overlap in ICO postings;
  • support to airlines; and
  • role of ICO assistants.

1 Source: Support System for Intelligence Quarterly Report, First Quarter 2000, Enforcement Branch, page 1(a).

<< Contents | Previous | Next >>