Towards a North American Security Perimeter

Towards a North American Security Perimeter

CTV News has obtained a draft copy of the Canada-U.S. deal which reveals that both nations, “intend to pursue a perimeter approach to security, working together within, at, and away from the borders of our two countries in a way that supports economic competitiveness, job creation and prosperity, and in a partnership to enhance our security and accelerate the legitimate flow of people and goods between our two countries.” The proposed agreement covers shared border management issues, such as an integrated cargo security strategy, a joint approach to port and border security and screening, as well as cross-border sharing of information between law enforcement agencies. CTV also reported that according to, “the Canada-U.S. deal dubbed Beyond the Border: A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Competitiveness, implementation would be handled by a newly created Beyond the Border Working Group.” A common security perimeter could force Canada to harmonize its immigration and refugee policies with the U.S. which would further undermine its sovereignty. It might also allow the U.S. to execute control of Canada in the advent of a terrorist attack or any other perceived threat to North America.