Canada

Cooperation on migration and asylum and home affairs are important elements of the EU’s strategic relationship with Canada, as set out in the 2016 Strategic Partnership Agreement and Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement. The EU and Canada are also close partners in the framework of the G7 and G20, the United Nations on migration-related issues and global partners on the fight against terrorism and transnational crime. 

In recent years, the major areas of engagement focus on: 

• Migration and asylum policies,
• Fight against terrorism and transnational organised crime,
• Information exchange for law enforcement purposes,
• Security aspects of border management,
• Visa policies. 

International agreements

In October 2024, EU and Canada signed the new EU-Canada Agreement on Passenger Name Records. This advances Canadian and EU joint efforts to combat terrorism and serious transnational crime, while protecting the privacy of passengers. Canada and the EU continue to support each other towards ratifying and implementing the Agreement. 

Full visa waiver reciprocity between all countries in the EU and Canada was agreed as of 1 December 2017. 

Operational cooperation

An operational cooperation agreement is in force between Canada and Europol. Canada Border Services Agency has a dedicated full-time liaison officer posted in Europol. 

Work is ongoing for a renewed Canada Border Services Agency - Frontex agreement. 

In 2024, the Canada Border Services Agency and the European Commission Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs initiated a Senior official’s dialogue to strengthen the cooperation on security aspects of border management. 

EU-Canada joint consultations on migration and asylum issues were established in 2007. The latest consultations was held in Brussels in October 2025.