Prime Minister Mark Carney has once again pledged to hire 1,000 new Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers, part of a series of familiar announcements aimed at tightening border security and combating organized crime.Carney said the move is part of his government’s plan to “build Canada strong” amid what he called a more dangerous and divided world. The measures will appear in the upcoming federal budget, set to be tabled on November 4 by Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne.According to the government, the new hires will help target the movement of illegal guns, drugs, and stolen goods, and strengthen enforcement at ports of entry across the country. The plan will also increase the CBSA recruit stipend for the first time since 2005, from $125 to $525 per week, and amend the Public Service Superannuation Act to allow frontline officers, firefighters, and paramedics to retire after 25 years of service without pension penalties..Public Safety Minister "Gun Grab" Gary Anandasangaree, who led Friday’s press conference, said the additions will expand the CBSA’s presence at airports, seaports, rail crossings, and other points of entry. He noted that the agency currently employs more than 10,000 people and that the new hires would include both enforcement and administrative personnel.Anandasangaree insisted the move is part of a broader border plan announced last December, when the government allocated $1.3 billion in additional funding. “This really is about ensuring Canada’s safety and security and our sovereignty,” he said, adding that the initiative “is not a response to the United States” but rather a continuation of previous federal commitments.However, the same 1,000-officer hiring figure has been announced several times over the past year, most recently alongside Bill C-12, the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act, tabled earlier this month. The minister said the new legislation largely mirrors Bill C-2, introduced previously, though it omits certain provisions related to “lawful access,” which he said would be revisited after consultations this winter..During the press conference, Anandasangaree also addressed concerns about fentanyl smuggling, calling the drug crisis “a whole-of-Canada challenge” and linking it to the government’s push for more enforcement resources. He cited the estimated 50,000 Canadians who have died from fentanyl-related causes and said an ounce of the drug “is too much.” He denied claims that fentanyl is being trafficked south from Canada into the United States, saying the evidence shows it primarily originates from “several Asian countries.”The minister also acknowledged ongoing technical outages within CBSA systems, describing them as unacceptable but assuring reporters that “our systems work effectively” and that the agency is working on upgrades..Carney and his ministers have made a series of security-themed announcements in recent weeks, including a similar plan to hire 1,000 new RCMP members and to implement tougher bail and sentencing laws for repeat offenders.While the government describes these steps as “bold and decisive,” critics have noted that the border security announcements are becoming repetitive. Many of the measures, including the CBSA hiring target, have been reannounced multiple times since the start of the year as the government continues to emphasize its law-and-order priorities ahead of the budget.