I thank the member for his question.
I'm trying to describe in fact the multiple layers of defence that are in place. I think the member's question is absolutely right in terms of our first objective, which is to push the border out as far as possible. That is why we have a security screening process in place that starts with our colleagues in the IRCC and results in comprehensive security screening being done by CSIS and the CBSA. In 2023 we had 74,000 files come our way, of which we closed 38,000 in terms of people seeking to come to the country. That's the first line of defence—IRCC first, and then our comprehensive security review.
If somebody is on a plane or on a flight manifest on their way to the country, CBSA has additional defences or tools that we bring to bear. We have other lines of defence. We have our national targeting centre, which reviews all passenger manifests for people seeking to come to the country, and we have international liaison officers who are working overseas. They work with airlines and with local authorities to deny boarding to the people we deem to be inadmissible, about 7,500 in 2023.
The next line of defence is at the port of entry. We have highly trained and experienced border services officers—