Border Integrity defined

A secure border helps keep Canadians safe from a range of criminal threats, while allowing for the legal movement of people and goods. Canada share's the world's longest undefended border with the United States, stretching nearly 9,000 kilometres across land and water. Working with its many Canadian, American and global law enforcement partners, the RCMP plays an important role in securing Canada's border.

What is border integrity?

The RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency share the responsibility of securing Canada's borders at and between the ports of entry from inbound and outbound criminal threats. With a presence across Canada, the RCMP is uniquely positioned to protect our border between ports of entry, but also conduct follow-up investigations when necessary.

The RCMP works to ensure Canada and Canadian interests are safe and secure against serious and complex criminal threats. Currently, the greatest threats to our border continue to be national security crimes (Canadians travelling for terrorist activities) and transnational organized crime networks (groups who use ports of entry or areas along the border to illegally move people or illicit merchandise).

The RCMP works closely with our partners on several border initiatives. These programs include:

Marine Security Enforcement Teams
Marine Security Operational Centres
Integrated Cross-Border Maritime Law Enforcement Operations (Shiprider)
Integrated Border Enforcement Teams
Border Technology Program

Border Integrity program

As Canada's national police force, the RCMP helps protect our borders in: the air, on land, at sea, and in the Artic. This includes monitoring areas between official ports of entry, maritime ports and airports.

The Border Integrity program recognizes the importance of keeping pace with modern criminal threats and anticipating future challenges. It has a strategy in place to effectively monitor, assess and respond to threats at our border, and working with partners to deploy resources where they are needed most. This strategy is based on three priorities:

Intelligence: gathering and synthesizing information from a variety of human and technological sources.
Integration: enhancing collaboration with other RCMP programs to address sophisticated, borderless crime.
Partnerships: strengthening and leveraging partnerships to ensure the RCMP has a complete threat picture at the border, informing an appropriate response.

This strategy is designed to strengthen the RCMP's ability to detect, deter, and disrupt cross-border criminal activity, and helps to ensure the safety and security of Canadians.

Note

A "port of entry" refers to a location by which people and goods may enter a country legally.

Border enforcement video

The RCMP works hard to keep Canada's borders safe between ports of entry on the ground, in the air, and on the water.

Transcript - RCMP Border Enforcement

Music plays ♫

Fast cuts showing a variety of RCMP border integrity work including ground-based border patrolling, drone surveillance footage, search dogs, snowmobiles, drug seizure analysis, helicopter surveillance, marine vessel surveillance, arrests.

On the ground. In the air. On the water. The RCMP protects Canada's borders. RCMP.ca/border

Royal Canadian Mounted Police / Gendarmerie royale du Canada
© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, 2025.

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Questions and answers

What is the RCMP's responsibility when it comes to border enforcement?

The RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) share the responsibility of securing Canada's borders at and between ports of entry from inbound and outbound criminal threats in all domains: air, land, maritime and the Arctic.

The RCMP is primarily responsible for border security between official ports of entry and has a role at ports of entry when investigations are referred to us by CBSA.

What specific actions has the RCMP taken to boost RCMP efforts and security at the border?

We have mobilized and increased resources at the Canada-U.S. border, immediately increasing its ability to patrol, detect, respond and investigate both north and southbound threats.

The nature of police work requires us to adapt our intervention methods and resources based on the situation, its needs and any challenges that may arise. As such, the RCMP has repositioned members to areas that have historically attracted irregular migration flows.

For example, RCMP members in Quebec, in collaboration with colleagues from the United States Border Patrol, have been conducting a surge enforcement initiative targeting human smuggling organizations in their area of responsibility. While specific details cannot be shared at this time due to ongoing investigations, multiple enforcement actions have taken place since the start of the initiative.

The RCMP is in the process of procuring 60 drones specifically for task missions tied to integrated border enforcement work. The use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems or drones allows the RCMP to monitor remote or hard-to-access areas more effectively, helping detect and respond to potential risks in real time.

The Canadian Armed Forces provided over 40 secured drones to support RCMP border security activities. These drones are secure models and meet Transport Canada regulations and are compliant with Trade Agreement requirements and the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act.

To further bolster our surveillance and response capabilities, the RCMP has chartered two Black Hawk helicopters, which became operational on January 17, 2025. They are being used to patrol, detect, and respond to both north and southbound threats at the Canada-U.S. border, ultimately preventing illegal crossings of people, goods and drugs.

The Black Hawks complement the RCMP's existing fleet of nine helicopters – six of which provide border surveillance and support, with cameras capable of thermal imaging, and one capable of hoisting operations.

The addition of Black Hawks greatly increases the RCMP's detection and response capabilities, offering rapid deployment and providing coverage when and where needed in between ports of entry, in line with the RCMP's mandate.

The Black Hawks are being deployed daily based on operational needs. To protect operational integrity, the RCMP cannot provide more specific information on where the Black Hawks are based, nor where they will be deployed at any given time.

The RCMP is continuing its procurement planning for a longer-term solution for helicopters.

How many RCMP Members are deployed to border enforcement?

For operational integrity reasons, the RCMP cannot provide the number of regular members deployed between the ports of entry. The RCMP is continually reviewing its operational priorities to ensure areas are appropriately resourced.

Is the RCMP working with U.S. partners to collaborate on border security efforts?

Yes, the RCMP works closely with numerous U.S. law enforcement agencies and other international partners to help secure the nearly 9,000 km Canada-U.S. border, as well as Canada's expansive coastline. The RCMP participates in numerous cross-border initiatives that allow for joint operations and investigations.

Additionally, the RCMP communicates and collaborates with its U.S. partners to address any increases in activity at the Canada-U.S. border through existing channels, such as the Cross-Border Law Enforcement Advisory Committee, the Integrated Cross-border Maritime Law Enforcement Operations (Shiprider), the Integrated Border Enforcement Teams, and through provincial relationships.

Regular engagement with U.S. partners enables Canadian law enforcement to shift their posture at the border in order to better respond to cross-border activity.

How will the RCMP be deployed to meet the 24/7 border surveillance commitment?

The RCMP has mobilized and increased resources at the border, immediately increasing its ability to patrol, detect, respond and investigate both north and southbound threats. The RCMP has repositioned members to areas that have historically attracted irregular migration flows.

The RCMP uses a variety of surveillance tools and technologies as well as patrol assets to monitor and secure the border in between the ports of entry, within Canadian laws and regulations, in line with its Federal Policing border integrity mandate.

The RCMP will deploy a new Aerial Intelligence Task Force comprising helicopters, drones, and mobile surveillance towers. This technology will support RCMP officers and be monitored by Border Integrity Operations Centre to provide surveillance between ports of entry.

The recently proposed investments will help the RCMP keep our borders strong, in full collaboration with our domestic and U.S. partners. These investments build on existing measures and allow us to use new tools and technologies that will strengthen our investigative capacity.

How will the RCMP participate in a cross-border strike force? How many members will be involved?

The RCMP is advancing efforts with U.S. agencies to build a Joint Strike Force to detect and disrupt the fentanyl trade. It will target and hit organized crime harder and faster, including cartels. It will include ten teams of law enforcement, border security and intelligence professionals across Canada and the US. It will also involve new resources and frontline personnel, as well as technical operations capacity and infrastructure.

Is the RCMP prepared for the potential increase in asylum seekers?

The RCMP has worked through various scenarios in the event of a sudden increase in irregular migration between official ports of entry at the Canada-U.S. border, and has refreshed its contingency plans. Any response to a sudden increase in irregular migration will be coordinated in conjunction with our various partners whose mandates relate to border security and immigration.

New mechanisms have been established which enable the RCMP to effectively manage apprehensions of irregular migrants between the ports (i.e. Safe Third Country Agreement Additional Protocol).

The RCMP is in regular communication with domestic partners involved in this space, including the CBSA and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Do you have any statistics on irregular migration patterns?

The number of RCMP interceptions (which refers to asylum seekers apprehended between the ports of entry) per year and province can be found on the IRCC website.

Where can I find more information?

For more information on border security measures, please visit:

Date modified:: 2025-03-05

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