Keeping Canadians safe and our borders secure are vital functions of the federal government.

Therefore, any policy that waters down our security screening measures for asylum seekers is unacceptable.

On Friday, Sun Media columnist Candice Malcolm, citing high-level former officials in the federal immigration department, reported the Trudeau government intends to fast track asylum seekers from countries with a high percentage of approved refugee claims.

BIG NEWS: Liberals planning to rubber stamp dangerous asylum seekers, @CandiceMalcolm has learned: https://t.co/peipyuuxkw#cdnpoli — Anthony Furey (@anthonyfurey) April 27, 2017

That could mean, Malcolm was told, that “certain claims may be approved without a hearing”, or a shortened hearing, or rubber-stamped through a “paper-based” process.

While many asylum seekers from Mideast and African countries, where Canada has historically recognized large numbers of refugee claimants, are legitimate, some are terrorists, war criminals and thugs.

In response to Malcolm’s column, federal officials said there will be no changes to “security and criminality screening practices” but some claims will be approved without hearings.

In any event, these aren’t new concerns.

As the Senate Standing Committee on National Security and Defence said in its June, 2015, report “Vigilance, Accountability and Security at Canada’s borders”: “Concerns remain about how immigrants ... are screened. The committee heard from witnesses who expressed concern that (Canada) has ... turned the immigrant visa application process into a ‘paper-based exercise’ where very few face-to-face interviews are held ...The committee is also concerned only between nine and 15% of immigrants are interviewed by a visa officer before they come to Canada.”

While Conservative leadership candidate Kellie Leitch has been attacked for suggesting face-to-face interviews to screen immigrant and refugee applicants for anti-Canadian values, former ambassador Martin Collacott told the Senate committee:

“Such interviews are important ... A face-to-face interview not only assists a Canadian visa officer to get a better idea of whether an applicant is likely to constitute a security threat to Canada – whether they are likely ... to have extremist views that are in conflict with Canadian views, values and objectives – but .. also provides an opportunity to give a prospective immigrant important and accurate background on what to expect in terms of ... integration into Canadian society.”

Canada is a generous country, but we can’t afford to be naive about who we let in.

Our procedures for deciding that must be thorough, not haphazard.