Going Dutch: Canada, Netherlands negotiating trusted traveller agreement

OTTAWA – Canadian and Dutch citizens would be able to visit each other’s countries more easily under a plan to expand Canada’s trusted traveller programs beyond North America.

Records obtained under the Access to Information Act show Canada and the Netherlands have been negotiating a bilateral agreement that would allow their citizens to apply to each other’s programs for travellers considered to be a low security risk.

The Canada Border Services Agency records say the initiative would be modelled on the current Nexus travellers program between Canada and the United States.

Agency spokeswoman Maja Graham confirmed that discussions between Canada and the Netherlands began three years ago.

Trusted traveller programs are intended to speed the flow of low-risk, known citizens across borders by ushering them into express queues, giving security officers more time to focus limited resources on those who may pose a higher risk.

The internal agency records make it clear an agreement with the Netherlands would be the first strand of an effort to create a large web of mutual traveller programs with other countries.