Post-9/11: Border security now more intense

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Despite tighter border security since 9/11, US Customs and Border Protection insists Canadians and visitors from all over are welcome.

Mike Milne with CBP in Seattle believes we are crossing more efficiently. “Border security has gotten more intense in the last 10 years as a result of the attacks on America. I think the biggest thing people will see physically that has changed is the documentation requirements.”

In 2009, passports became mandatory for air travellers and crossing on the ground now requires either an enhanced drivers licence or a passport.

Milne considers the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and his agency the biggest change for border crossers:

“It deals with trade, travel, and tourism issues. It deals with cargo [and] rail cars coming across the US buses, providing us prior information, manifest lists… all things designed to bolster border security and more effectively move people and goods across the border. That’s important to both our nations.”

On this side of the line, Erin Steeksma with Canada Border Services says one of the biggest post-9/11 changes has been the focus on people and goods before they get to the border. “Whether it’s cargo onboard a ship or passengers onboard a trans-Atlantic flight, we now receive information on the people and goods before they get here. For example, the advanced passenger information or passenger name record program.”

This enables CBSA to assess risk before travellers get to the airport. But there’s no such pre-screening for the average car crossing on the ground.

Steeksma adds one of the biggest challenges for officers at land crossings is assessing the people they see everyday.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today