Madam Chair, committee members, good afternoon. My name is Mike Duheme. I'm the deputy commissioner for federal policing in the RCMP.

I'm accompanied by Martin Roach who oversees and manages the situation at Roxham Road. Today, we will speak about the RCMP's law enforcement activities at the border.

Canada, like other western countries, is faced with the task of managing increasing irregular migration flows, which involves addressing humanitarian needs while also ensuring that those who could pose a public safety or security threat are not admitted into Canada.

No one is likely to question the fact that the illicit movement of people between points of entry, including the illegal entry of asylum seekers at the border, is an ongoing problem. However, it must not be forgotten that at the heart of this matter we find vulnerable people, including refugees and asylum seekers who have often undertaken a long and perilous voyage to get to Canada. These people are easy prey for human traffickers, operated by transnational organized crime groups known for their acts of violence and other criminal activities.

That's why the RCMP makes every effort to strike a balance between performing its mandate, which is to keep Canada secure, and its responsibility for ensuring that people like these who have been apprehended are treated with compassion and respect, and have access to recourse under the act.

I would like to take a few minutes to provide some context on the RCMP's approach to enforcing the law at the border to clarify how and when the RCMP's interactions with individuals take place.

With respect to Canadian law, anyone found crossing the Canadian border without reporting at an official port of entry may be arrested by the RCMP. That said, when individuals are intercepted by the RCMP entering illegally between the ports of entry, they are arrested under subsection 11(1) of the Customs Act, but their intentions are not immediately known. As such, a preliminary risk assessment is conducted to determine if there is any threat posed to Canada or Canadians. Background checks are undertaken to see if there has been any prior involvement in illegal activities, including, for example, drug trafficking, connections to organized crime or links to terrorism.

Each situation is assessed individually before a determination is made on how to proceed, that is, whether an individual should remain in RCMP custody pending further investigation, be referred to another police service jurisdiction, or be transferred to the CBSA for the asylum claim to be assessed. It is the totality of the information obtained by the RCMP through a preliminary risk assessment that a search of personal documents is utilized and reviewed to make an assessment of the risk individuals may pose.

It is important to note that the RCMP does not charge those intercepted who are attempting to enter Canada to make an asylum claim, as this would be in contravention of the Immigration Refugee Protection Act, which states that individuals may not be charged with certain offences related to their illegal entry while their refugee claim is being processed.

As for Roxham Road, the RCMP, in compliance with its border integrity role, deploys teams in those areas where the highest levels of activity occur in order to apprehend asylum-seekers, more and more of whom are crossing between the official points of entry.

At the moment, the largest number of illegal migrants is in Quebec, at Roxham Road. From 2017 to 2021, approximately 95% of RCMP interceptions were at this location. As is the case at other locations, each person apprehended by the RCMP at Roxham Road undergoes a thorough background check before the RCMP decides what action to take.

While the screening process is necessary to effectively discharge the RCMP's mandate to protect the integrity of our borders, our members ensure that these processes are undertaken with humanity and compassion, respecting the rights of irregular migrants and their human dignity.

In order to ensure that balance is met, Canada's approach has been, and continues to be, examined by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Canada.

In the spirit of transparency, the RCMP in Quebec has facilitated several visits and offered briefings to UNHCR. We are proud of the fact that the RCMP resources on the ground are doing the job that they are mandated to do, and they are doing it in a professional and exemplary fashion.

Nevertheless, the RCMP's main interest is the ongoing improvement of its efforts to enforce the act at the border. A coordinated border management approach is essential to long-term success, and it would enable the RCMP to achieve its multiple operational objectives, including measures to combat cross-border drug and weapons trafficking, in addition to trafficking in persons and human smuggling.

We look forward to working with our international partners and our national partners, such as the CBSA and the IRCC, to continue implementing this approach while prioritizing the safety of Canada and Canadians, ensuring the compassionate treatment of irregular migrants.

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to speak about these important issues.

I'm now happy to take any questions.

Thank you.

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