The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced on September 14 that it has deported 111 foreign nationals connected to a string of extortion-related crimes in British Columbia, the Prairies and the Greater Toronto Area. The agency says a further 77 individuals are under active removal orders as part of an enforcement blitz that began last year after a spate of shootings and fire-bombings targeting South-Asian business owners. CBSA officers worked with municipal police detachments and the RCMP to build inadmissibility cases under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Many of those removed were found to be members of organised crime groups and had prior convictions for offences such as forcible confinement, firearms trafficking and aggravated assault. Four high-profile removals took place in August and early September, underscoring what Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree called “a whole-of-government response to transnational extortion.” Ottawa is backing the effort with C$30.4 million from Canada’s Border Plan and has pledged to hire 1,000 additional officers to reach an annual target of 20,000 removals by the end of fiscal 2026-27. The agency is currently averaging about 400 removals per week, with priority given to cases involving serious criminality. For employers, the message is clear: talent mobility must be accompanied by rigorous compliance checks. Companies sponsoring foreign workers are being reminded to review employee histories and maintain up-to-date records in case of CBSA verification visits. Those operating in sectors vulnerable to racketeering—such as trucking, construction and hospitality—should expect an uptick in workplace inspections and liaison requests from law-enforcement task forces. The crackdown may also trigger longer secondary inspections at airports and land borders as officers sift through intelligence leads. Business travellers are advised to budget extra time for entry formalities and to ensure that all travel documents, including police certificates and biometrics, are in order.
