Backgrounder – Canada Border Services Agency

Requests

CBSA – four-year snapshot
CBSA – four-year snapshot	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23
Requests received	8,223	7,568	11,457	18,889
Requests closed	7,953	7,261	10,015	15,860
# of requests carried over into next reporting period	1,632	1,939	3,381	6,410
Pages processed	1,160,704	964,633	773,748	715,580
Timeliness (requests processed in 30 days or less)*	66%	70%	53%	66%
Timeliness (requests processed in over 120 days)*	4%	8%	7%	5%

*Percentage of closed requests

The number of requests received has increased by 130% since 2019-20 and by 65% since 2021-22.
In 2022-23, 1,576 requests were in deemed refusal. 248 of these are more than 365 days over the legislated time frame.
260 requests carried over are from 2019-2020 or before
Most time extensions are claimed under 9(1)(a) and are for between 31 and 60 days.
The exemptions invoked most often in 2022-23 are 16(1)(c), 19(1), 13(1)(a), 15(1).
Most requests in 2022-23 were from business and the public.

CBSA - Registered and closed complaints 2019-20 to 2023-24
CBSA - Registered and closed complaints 2019-20 to 2023-24
		2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24 (as of Feb. 19, 2024)
Overall	Registered	136	139	794	615	654
Overall	Closed	122	102	318	852	541
Admin	Registered	72	86	592	687	440
Admin	Closed	65	58	225	817	452
Refusal*	Registered	64	53	87	107	214
Refusal*	Closed	57	44	32	35	89

In FYs 2021-22 and 2022-23 – one complainant was responsible for 50% and 33% of total complaints registered.
In FY 2023-24 to date, two (2) complainants are responsible for 52 % of the complaints registered.
Exemptions most complained about – 13(1)(a), 15(1), 16(1)(c), 16(2)(c), 19(1).
Outcomes: (1,935)
- Cease to investigate – resolved = 1,497
- Well-founded = 200
- Discontinued = 170
- Not well-founded = 60
- Cease to investigate – unnecessary = 7

Complaints registered in 2023-2024
Institution		Complaints registered in 2023-2024 (as of Feb. 19, 2024)
1	Canada Border Services Agency	665
2	Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada	550
3	Global Affairs Canada	228
4	Royal Canadian Mounted Police	201
5	Privy Counsel Office	190
6	National Defence	99
7	Library and Archives Canada	88
8	Canada Revenue Agency	87
9	Health Canada	65
10	Transport Canada	61
11	Public Service and Procurement Canada	56
12	Canadian Security Intelligence Service	51
13	Indigenous Services Canada	41
14	Canadian Heritage	40
15	Employment and Social Development Canada	39
16	Environment and Climate Change Canada	34
17	Public Safety	33
18	Finance	32
19	Correctional Services Canada	29
20	Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada	29

As of February 19, 2024, there are 2,864 pending complaints in the OIC’s inventory.
The OIC currently has 536 pending complaints against CBSA.

Inventory
Institution		Complaints pending (as of Feb. 19, 2024)
1	Canada Border Services Agency	536
2	Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada	260
3	Privy Council Office	252
4	Royal Canadian Mounted Police	244
5	Global Affairs Canada	229
6	Library and Archives Canada	162
7	Canada Revenue Agency	133
8	Public Services & Procurement Canada	107
9	National Defence	94
10	Transport Canada	71
11	Health Canada	65
12	Indigenous Services Canada	49
13	Justice	47
14	Employment and Social Development Canada	44
15	Canadian Security Intelligence Service	42
16	Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada	35
17	Correctional Services Canada	34
18	Canadian Heritage	31
19	Public Safety	31
20	Finance	27

Text version

CBSA pending complaints by FY registered
CBSA pending complaints by FY registered
FY 2017	2
FY 2018	3
FY 2019	10
FY 2020	12
FY 2021	73
FY 2022	94
FY 2023	342

The pre 2018 complaints are refusal complaints.
Complaints from FY 2018 to FY 2021 are all refusal complaints.
More refusals than admin make up all of the pending complaints (342 refusals vs. 194 admin).