 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
1,800 new Canadians poised to lose citizenship: Kenney
! z+ q2 @' Y4 q: i' z$ O$ [$ v0 P
Richard J. Brennan7 H: `& l& K9 _
National Affairs Writer
9 S3 s( p- c7 a5 M( Z2 M7 f: s& T F# a; G( ]0 `1 q% i9 @' x* p
. {; H: u6 q+ t: U3 X6 |
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney confirmed Wednesday that as many as 1,800 new Canadians could be stripped of their citizenship because they were obtained fraudulently.
9 w8 [$ h9 I& `& R
2 K6 R8 C, `6 M. c5 @ C2 g( Z“We are in the process of notifying them that we will be revoking their citizenship because Canadian citizenship is not for sale,” Kenney told the Economic Club of Canada.2 d+ @1 K4 n7 r$ I; g
8 M& j) h/ C0 @( n- T2 nKenney said some of the individuals are believed to have used “unscrupulous” immigration consultants who submitted fraudulent applications on behalf of people who did not meet the qualifications for citizenship.$ {) w. m: g# \' g! H8 I
# l3 V1 I1 P, L: H+ Y# vThe 1,800 were identified following a three-year investigation by the RCMP, other police forces and Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
) _% _; N& _6 M; L) B+ n
$ p3 O, A/ O% n/ z“By the way, we are not done with our investigation” Kenney said, noting that many of the accused live outside the country.8 d7 N- ], l# V( d7 @/ x
* Q) m( m8 l8 w6 u7 h2 {, ~! y
They can challenge the decision in Federal Court. If not, Cabinet will move to revoke their citizenship.
6 v/ { v' O/ K; f, Z5 u
/ Q8 i) C S6 @- n! b9 q3 hCitizenship revocation is relatively uncommon in Canada with only 63 people being stripped of their citizenship since 1977, Kenney said.% } S! b* S' N: }1 j# `* Y; ]
$ \+ V& O1 M" IMost were for reasons related to residence fraud, criminality and false identity, or concealing their involvement in war crimes.
k! T+ F. u& l& s) Y2 V8 ~6 X9 t9 ?3 E$ i4 j0 Q% ~# W: l8 P
Speaking in Vancouver on Tuesday, Kenney said Ottawa is trying to discourage immigration fraud.3 M6 Z, j4 D0 r9 b$ V ]' l
' f1 v! i2 V5 _: D2 _0 p( u
“For those who simply touch down and try to get a Canadian passport as a … passport of convenience, who don’t pay our taxes but who do consume our social benefits, I think that’s dishonourable,” he told reporters after delivering a speech to the Vancouver Board of Trade.
, T9 W& T' m; R4 R" Y& }- Y- w# E! d( a/ r2 V( `" l' W9 N& O
“There are many ways that we are combating immigration fraud and abuse of our generosity, whether it is from [bogus] asylum claimants, crooked immigration consultants, people smugglers [or] people who are abusing our citizenship program,” he said.
+ V* X7 n& F' W! n6 P6 I' Y; c
3 Y* d' |6 n# K$ ^/ s# z4 WKenney also announced that Canada will soon be introducing multi-year visas for low-risk visitors from around the world that will last 10 years. |
|