Fortress North America and Canadian Sovereignty
The Concept of Fortress North America
The Fortress North America concept involves the creation of a single immigration and customs border around Canada, the United States, and Mexico. When a person enters North America via any one of these countries, identical immigration, customs and visa policies and systems would greet them. National sovereignty is limited under Fortress North America, as Canada would no longer be able to decide its immigration and customs policies independently. Instead, Canadian immigration would be decided jointly by Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
The Objective of Fortress North America
Fortress North America's objective is to ensure public safety by denying potential terrorists easy entry into the continent, while continuing minimal border restrictions for legal travel and commerce within the continent.
This objective is important for several reasons. First, the events of September 11th prove there is a clear and present danger of terrorist attacks in North America. It is in Canada's interest to pursue policies that will make it difficult for terrorists to perpetrate their attacks. Second, the Canadian economy is dependent upon an open border with the United States. Almost $2 billion worth of goods and services crosses the border every day, as well as 200 million people each year. It would be economically costly for Canada if this flow was disrupted by tighter border security.
The Necessity of Fortress North America
However, while its objective is sufficiently important, Fortress North America's concept is unnecessary. There are alternative and plausible means of accomplishing the objective without limiting Canadian sovereignty. For example, Canada can deny potential terrorists easy entry unilaterally, without integrating its immigration and customs policies and systems with the United States and Mexico. In fact, Canada has already taken several steps to do so. These steps
include:
- The introduction of Bill C-11, designed to toughen immigration laws and strengthen the government's security capacities
- The introduction of Bill C-36, giving the Canadian government, police, and security agencies broader powers to detect, investigate, and prosecute terrorists in Canada
- Fast-tracking new permanent resident cards for immigrants, which are more difficult to forge
- $49 million invested to strengthen Citizenship and Immigration Canada's ability to do front end-security screening of refugee claimants, hire new staff, and increase its detention and deportation capacity
- $21 million invested to buy Customs new technology and to hire additional customs officers
The Reasonableness of Fortress North America
As well as being unnecessary, the Fortress North America concept is unreasonable because its benefits are not proportionate to its negative impact. This is true for three reasons:
- The importance of national control of immigration
- The smaller threat of terrorism to Canada
- The improbability that the United States will severely restrict its border
- The Importance of Immigration
Losing immigration policy control would have a severe negative impact on Canada as the country uses immigration to meet national economic and social goals. Economically, immigration is an important instrument for building and strengthening Canadian labour and business. For example, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Canada used European immigration to populate and develop the economies of the Northwest Territories and Canadian prairies. Today, Canada uses immigration to fill skill shortages in the labour force and to attract foreign investment. This use of immigration is becoming increasingly important as Canada is experiencing dramatic demographic shifts with the retirement of baby boomers.
Socially, immigration is an important tool for Canadian cultural development. Immigrants deepen and enrich the country's cultural heritage and contribute to Canada's identity as a dynamic and diverse nation open to the world. Furthermore, through its relatively liberal immigration and refugee system, Canada strengthens its humanitarian tradition by admitting refugees and displaced persons fleeing civil war and ethnic conflicts.
- The Threat of Terrorism to Canada
Canadian security agencies estimate that 50 terrorist organizations operate in Canada. These groups include
Hizballah, Hamas, Sunni Islamic extremists, the Irish Republic Army, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil, the Kurdistan Workers' Party, the Mujahedin
e-Khalq, and numerous Sikh terrorist groups. However, Canadian institutions and citizens are not targets of these terrorist groups. Instead, these groups use Canada as a place to support terrorist activities abroad. As the 1999 Special Senate Committee on Security and Intelligence (the Kelly Committee) concluded, Canada is "primarily a venue of opportunity to support, plan or mount attacks elsewhere."
This doesn't suggest that Canada is immune to terrorism threats, but it does suggest that the threat to Canada is not as acute as in other nations. Therefore, if the threat of terrorism to Canada is smaller, so to is any benefit it would receive from Fortress North America. This is especially true when considering Canada's ability to address its own security issues and the severe negative impact resulting from a loss of national control of immigration.
- The Canada-United States Border
Finally, it is probable that the United States will increase its border security with Canada. However, it is unlikely that the United States will restrict the border to the point that it severely disrupts the flow of goods and people. Like Canada, the United States is dependent upon an open border for its economic health. Furthermore, this dependence has increased with the current slowdown experienced by the American economy.
It is, of course, to Canada's benefit to have a completely open border with the United States, which Fortress North America may guarantee. However, when balanced against the negative impact of loss of national control of immigration and the likelihood that the United States will not severely restrict its borders anyway, the benefit of implementing Fortress North America is not proportionate.
Conclusion
While Fortress North America's objective is important, the concept is nevertheless unnecessary and unreasonable.
- There are alternative means for accomplishing the objective, which do not limit Canadian sovereignty, as Canada can meet its security needs unilaterally.
- The benefits of Fortress North America are not proportionate to its negative impact, as:
- The loss of control over immigration represents a severe negative impact on Canada
- The threat of terrorism to Canada is not as acute as in other nations
- It is unlikely that the United States will severely restrict its border with Canada
|
