The key statistics provided by the government in support of its use of the ArriveCAN application are “absolutely false,” according to the union representing Canada’s border agents.
Mark Webber, president of the Customs and Immigration Union, told a House of Commons committee on Wednesday that the number of people who successfully complete the ArriveCAN application before appearing at the border is significantly lower than the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). .
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Webber also said the ArriveCAN app has helped reduce border security because agents are forced to help travelers with the app instead of focusing on their law enforcement responsibilities. .
“What I can tell you is that the figures provided to you by the CBSA, which said that 99 per cent of air travelers and 94 per cent of land travelers have the application completed, are absolutely false,” he said. Webber.
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“As far as border agents are concerned, in recent months they have shown that ArriveCAN neither facilitates cross-border travel nor improves operational efficiency. In fact, it does just the opposite. “
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ArriveCAN was launched in April 2020. It was mandatory for all travelers entering Canada in November of that year.
The app collects vaccine status and personal information, such as home address and phone number, which health officials can use to monitor compliance with government orders to curb the spread of VOCID -19.
But the application has also been hailed by travelers and the airline industry as a source of frustration, confusion and delays at Canadian airports and land border crossings.
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Webber told the committee that the percentage of people who use the application properly provided to the committee by the CBSA is the percentage “after” for border officials to help people complete the application.
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He added that without this assistance, the number of successful completion of the application by travelers is actually approaching 75 percent.
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On some border crossings, such as those near eastern municipalities in Quebec, Webber said the number of people using the app properly before reaching the border is 60 percent.
“Our officers work largely as computer consultants,” Webber told the committee. “You have land borders that have essentially become parking lots to help people complete the application.”
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For the past two weeks, the federal government has announced that it is closing down the COVID alert application, suspending mandatory COVID-19 random tests at the border, and lifting vaccination warrants for international outbound flights and domestic air and train travel.
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But the government has kept the ArriveCAN application in place, saying it is an important tool to prevent the continued spread of the virus. Public health officials have also said the application will be useful in the event of another outbreak and if quarantine measures are reinstated.
Denis Vinette, vice president of the CBSA’s passenger branch, told the committee on Wednesday that the application was developed to “eliminate an onerous and unmanageable volume of paper forms” needed to control travelers entering Canada.
He said the app is the “fastest, easiest and safest way” for travelers to prove they meet public health requirements.
“The use of ArriveCAN, which is mandatory, speeds up processing and helps protect the health and safety of travelers and our own CBSA employees,” he said.
Meanwhile, some politicians have called on the government to drop the application.
The mayors of Niagara Falls and Sarnia, Ontario, have said the application should be suspended so that American tourists and other visitors can come to Canada more easily this summer.
These sentiments were echoed by tourism industry officials who told the committee that the industry has lost tens of billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of employees during the pandemic.
Global News asked CBSA to respond to Webber’s comments. No response was given prior to posting.
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