Machines are replacing border guards in a trial security project at Vancouver International Airport, but whether border computers will be placed at airports across the country is yet to be determined.
The federal government, which put the two-year pilot project into place last year, says the machines will increase the efficiency of processing travellers. Critics say the lack of human interaction threatens national security.
The machines, called Automated Border Clearance kiosks, allow Canadian citizens and permanent residents to clear the border upon returning to Vancouver by feeding the device the appropriate documents -- passports and declaration cards -- and then handing the printed report to a real guard.
The self-serve kiosks are "quick and easy to use" according to the Canada Border Services Agency website.
While there was no official government announcement, a description of the new measures was posted on the CBSA website.
The border guards' union says it is concerned the new system overlooks safety in favour of speed.
"Sometimes the information is misread," Sue Neumann of the Customs and Immigration Union told CTV News.
Michael Byers, a professor of international relations at UBC, agrees. He says these machines do not have the same perception as human guards.
"A border guard can sense whether or not someone is nervous," Byers said. "They can see whether there's a twitch of the face, or whether there's perspiration on the forehead. It's very difficult for a machine to do that."
The Minister of Public Safety would not talk to CTV about the project. Liberal public safety critic Mark Holland is calling for a debate in Parliament before any more kiosks are put into service.
"The idea that we're going to turn over border security to machines, which we know are more often unfortunately than not flawed, and taking out the human element means that we're going to be leaving potentially a big gap at our border," Holland told CTV News. "I'm very concerned about the security implications there."
With files from CTV's Rob Brown
