The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced on 14 September 2026 that targeted enforcement operations have resulted in 111 removals of foreign nationals connected to organised extortion schemes. Working with police forces across the Pacific, Prairie and Greater Toronto regions, officers issued 188 removal orders under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, prioritising cases involving criminality and public-safety risks. The initiative, launched in August 2025 after a spike in extortion-related violence against South-Asian business owners, underscores how criminal activity can trigger inadmissibility and rapid deportation. Four high-profile removals detailed in the release involved individuals linked to shootings, firearms offences and kidnapping. For companies sponsoring foreign workers, the message is clear: even off-duty criminal associations can jeopardise immigration status. Robust background checks and ongoing compliance monitoring are essential parts of duty-of-care programmes. The government has earmarked CA$30.4 million to help CBSA complete 20,000 removals annually through 2027 and is hiring 1,000 additional officers. Employers should expect heightened scrutiny at ports of entry and during inland enforcement visits, particularly for industries that rely on temporary foreign workers in higher-risk sectors. CBSA encourages the public to report suspected inadmissible persons via its confidential Border Watch line—an avenue corporate security teams can also use to flag potential threats discovered during internal investigations.
Source: Canada Border Services Agency
