 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
1,800 new Canadians poised to lose citizenship: Kenney5 ~" @# n# X8 T) L5 k
6 q* T% {3 w0 N$ J2 _Richard J. Brennan" k8 v9 H: y$ c/ n! f
National Affairs Writer
6 B- Z2 e! m! u5 U1 G$ E: {* s# e7 [* u0 o F" H A6 x
[1 p* ^3 ^0 ^3 X' I+ m p3 B
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.
1 B- p% ?8 N. F
2 ^4 c& Q+ s0 a“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.
& _7 a+ m- _; W5 i* d4 y5 N# O3 Z
4 ~9 \! s6 l$ P# L7 B* n9 ~: s7 |9 E, aKenney 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.
3 o/ w+ c! x# Q7 n& {! G7 ]" a& \% v2 Y/ H. W( j/ P
The 1,800 were identified following a three-year investigation by the RCMP, other police forces and Citizenship and Immigration Canada.9 Q" r- k" I D+ ?! v
F( g F' n6 e* c“By the way, we are not done with our investigation” Kenney said, noting that many of the accused live outside the country.0 c! \! p7 I. R+ R2 V4 \
5 {6 Q( J1 |2 d! x6 ^. U- h$ A/ zThey can challenge the decision in Federal Court. If not, Cabinet will move to revoke their citizenship.' o, K( i; B# D0 r
% n9 F0 T/ _2 |( D$ a# m6 D
Citizenship revocation is relatively uncommon in Canada with only 63 people being stripped of their citizenship since 1977, Kenney said.+ e" m3 _6 l9 W" S
) G% Z9 U8 }. b3 t o W
Most were for reasons related to residence fraud, criminality and false identity, or concealing their involvement in war crimes.) q% I( `" [6 B5 j
4 D6 S4 ^8 f+ P
Speaking in Vancouver on Tuesday, Kenney said Ottawa is trying to discourage immigration fraud.
u8 O5 [+ q& g8 P
4 ?$ G, p0 S, W“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.! K& a3 R% ?& L: D
* ?2 e6 s- t: s& Y0 a$ e& z y
“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.
' d+ x: t, @( g# G2 E# l
3 q- M& M8 i% i* Q2 I1 lKenney also announced that Canada will soon be introducing multi-year visas for low-risk visitors from around the world that will last 10 years. |
|