U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly came to Ottawa last week to talk national security. The issue on everyone's mind: border security. Canada has seen an influx of asylum-seekers illegally coming in from the U.S. over recent months, and it seems no one knows quite what to do. CBC commenters, however, have a few suggestions.

Get on it, America

Hopefully, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale will tell Kelly to start doing his job. U.S. border controls include both entry and exit control. Given the influx of refugees escaping the U.S., I'd say Donald Trump has undermined their exit controls.

- Jim Graham

No clear path

It is all very well to dislike a situation, but what's the solution? A border wall? That is a rather long border. Surely, we cannot consider stationing thousands of police or military along the border and shooting at people as they try to cross. Shooting into the U.S. would actually be an act of war. So if arresting is not enough — what is?

- Sean Fordyce​

Problem for years

Migrants were coming across the border before Trump came to power. Indeed, for years, several hundred crossed. Canada is a weak country when it comes to upholding the law. Why bother having a border at all? Yet Canadian residents going into the U.S. have been rejected because they did not seek a pardon for a previous offence.

We cannot continue to welcome any and everyone who wants a new life. The pressure on the taxpayer is hitting the point of protest. Something has to give. Stop the madness, Mr. Trudeau.

- Shirley Witt

Cut off the leaders

​Economic migration has been an issue for some time now. Migration due to failed governance in other lands has also been an issue. Time to start holding the failed nation states to account, and force the change in the homeland of the migrants.



Cut off the travel of the leaders of the failed states. Close down their offshore bank accounts.

- Kevin Delaney

A border fence

Build a fence. We do this in our own yards to keep people from cutting though. The border crossings are only to control the honest people. All those miles with no control are just a problem waiting to happen.

- George Hansen

Payable in USD

I believe we should build a fence and the U.S. should pay for it.

- David MacKinnon

​Calm down

To all those fear-driven posters who think refugees coming to Canada makes this country unsafe: how? Is the country less safe right now because of the last few refugees who crossed the border? Is the pregnant refugee who recently came to Canada a terrorist?

Stop listening to the American fear and rhetoric. And yes, I would allow refugees into my home, out from the cold. They are humans and have the same needs as you.

- Thomas Magnum

Stop paying taxes

​I am so annoyed by the government's laissez-faire attitude in regard to people illegally crossing the border that I am considering refusing to pay my income tax. When I am told that seniors' subsidy for rent in my province cannot be raised to realistic levels because there is "no money," I realize that the wellbeing of our own citizens is secondary. I guess the CRA can raid my bank account, if need be.

- Susan Smith

Turn them back

Close the loophole: make the Safe Third Country Agreement effective across the whole border between Canada and the USA, instead of just at the guarded check points. Anyone who is caught crossing over will be turned back to the U.S.

- Jamie Smart

Comments have been edited for length and clarity.