Canada Weighs Creating Foreign Espionage Service to Reduce US Reliance

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree announced that the Canadian government is weighing options to enhance its national security apparatus, which may include deploying undercover spies to collect intelligence in foreign countries. This potential expansion occurs as the government develops a new national security strategy aimed at reducing reliance on the United States amid declining trust in intelligence sharing.

Options under consideration include establishing a new foreign spy agency similar to the CIA or MI6, or overhauling the mandate of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. A 2025 briefing note from the agency suggested that a foreign human intelligence capability would advance Canada's global geopolitical and economic interests.

Former intelligence officials Alan Barnes and Geoff St. John issued a warning via a Policy Insights Forum study, urging policymakers to approach the move with eyes wide open. They argued that clandestine operations carry severe diplomatic, legal, and physical risks, particularly in countries like Russia and China. Barnes suggested that investing in neglected intelligence analysis capacity would provide a better payoff than the high cost and risk of collecting new secret information.