3 November 2008

Fast-track cards a licence to smuggle, border guards fear

This article is excerpted from the 1 November 2008 edition of “globeandmail.com”.

Canada's border guards are skeptical about a card that fast-tracks travellers across the Canada-U.S. border, fearing it's become a “licence to smuggle,” says a new report.

So-called Nexus cards were first issued in 2000, and have become a boon to frequent travellers who use them to skip long queues and get waved through Canada-U.S. customs stations.

The cards, along with so-called Fast cards used by truckers, are issued by both American and Canadian authorities to travellers who are screened as low-risk.

But an internal evaluation by the Canada Border Services Agency found that front-line officers have seen too many card-carrying travellers cheating. As a result, they've lost faith in the system….

The May 2008 evaluation report was obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act.

A spokeswoman for the border agency challenged the finding, saying officers do support the programs, which have expanded quickly in the last two years….

The evaluation found numerous problems with the Nexus cards, carried by about 172,000 Canadian travellers for use at land border stations, international airports and ferry terminals. Fast cards are being used by another 65,000 Canadian commercial drivers.

Canada's border agency, for example, did not run annual checks on card-holders who are already in the Nexus program. By contrast, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency runs automated checks every 24 hours for criminal convictions and other violations. The cards are valid for five years….

About 73,000 Nexus cards are held by U.S. travellers, and 17,000 Fast cards by American truckers.