Auditors have flagged persistent weaknesses in fraud controls at the $60 million ArriveCan program, warning that Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) managers have been slow to close gaps despite serious irregularities.Blacklock's Reporter says the in-house Audit of Fraud Risk Management found that an Integrity Management Working Group had not met for over a year and that a new Integrity Framework was not fully implemented. Auditors said this lack of oversight left the program vulnerable to fraud and undermined public trust.“Fraud regardless of whether it is alleged or proven can erode public trust and pose a significant risk to the integrity of programs and services,” the report said. It noted that the CBSA processes 70.5 million travelers and 132.5 million commercial shipments annually, collecting $39.7 billion in tariffs, meaning any mismanagement can have wide-reaching consequences..Police investigations into ArriveCan are ongoing. A June report by Auditor General Karen Hogan on professional services contracts found that irregularities in the program raised suspicions of serial lawbreaking. Conservative MP Larry Brock revealed in a 2024 Commons committee hearing that preliminary internal findings led to at least two RCMP criminal investigations into fraud and bribery.The audit said management failed to set “a strong tone from the top” and did not properly monitor procurement controls, even as concerns about program integrity mounted in 2023. .Auditors recommended including clear statements in the framework that the agency has zero tolerance for fraud and will protect whistleblowers from reprisal.The report also highlighted misrepresented program costs, concealed contracting irregularities, and millions spent on lavish meals and parties hosted by suppliers for federal managers. Conservative MP John Williamson, chair of the public accounts committee, called the revelations alarming, asking: “Systems were in place. They were not followed. So who is responsible?”The CBSA has yet to fully implement recommended fraud safeguards, leaving critical gaps in oversight of one of Canada’s most high-profile border programs.
