Up to 40% of people arriving at Windsor border don't have ArriveCAN filled out: CBSA union
CBC
When it comes to crossing the border into Canada, a big chunk of travellers still aren't filling out the ArriveCAN app.
President Mark Weber of the Customs and Immigration Union, which represents border workers, said between 30 and 40 per cent of travellers coming into parts of Canada — specifically into Windsor, Ont. — are either incorrectly filling out the app, forgetting to do it or don't know it's a requirement.
The federal government has said it put the app in place as a COVID-19 screening measure, and travellers must use it to declare their vaccination status prior to arriving at the border.
But Weber said the number of people not in compliance is causing headaches for officers.
"They have to help them complete it, have them complete it inside the office, which means cars backing up. It is causing delays and it's adding to an already serious situation with our low staffing levels."
He told CBC's Windsor Morning this week that border workers are doing the "best that we can" to get people through. But they're "discouraged" to find many people still aren't filling out the app, he said.
"We're in a situation where we're kind of not doing our actual work as border service officers anymore. All of our time is being spent on the app," he said.
"Travellers are arriving quite irate, obviously. When they're waiting in line for hours, it's understandable. But a lot of that is being taken out on our officers."
He said some travellers outright refuse to complete the app.
In June, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said the app could have uses beyond COVID-19, including for declarations made when crossing the border.
But Weber said this isn't something the union has been consulted on, and it's "worried" about it from an efficiency and border security standpoint.
"We understand it's a public health measure — we're not doctors — but the practical nuts and bolts of how it works at the border is not something we've been consulted on."
His members, he said, could provide insight on how to better streamline the app.
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