Liberal border security bill poses serious threat to rights, coalition warns

A national coalition of civil society groups says the Liberal government's new border security bill poses a serious risk to liberties and human rights.

The Ottawa-based International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group is calling on the government to withdraw the bill and replace it with more targeted legislation on specific border concerns.

The coalition brings together dozens of non-governmental organizations, unions, professional associations, faith groups, environmental groups, human rights and civil liberties advocates and groups representing immigrant and refugee communities.

The bill introduced this week would give authorities new powers to search mail, make it easier for officials to pause or cancel immigration applications and expand the Canadian Coast Guard's role to include secu