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1,800 new Canadians poised to lose citizenship: Kenney! ]/ w* D! s, j+ A4 K( P9 h/ _
6 ?) L+ b/ H' f% W9 d# J/ M4 ^- gRichard J. Brennan! ?5 J- {; f6 g% @0 \
National Affairs Writer
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2 L, @/ E/ B- p t* f' c& PImmigration Minister Jason Kenney confirmed Wednesday that as many as 1,800 new Canadians could be stripped of their citizenship because they were obtained fraudulently./ Z5 F3 j! w9 i
& @. T* _8 L% X" c9 u! j“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.! Z- w/ W; D) f
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Kenney 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.' S p, E4 z/ A6 g% p3 q
! m$ ]- I/ b, R- s; }$ aThe 1,800 were identified following a three-year investigation by the RCMP, other police forces and Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
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“By the way, we are not done with our investigation” Kenney said, noting that many of the accused live outside the country.! a; N6 T( x; G
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They can challenge the decision in Federal Court. If not, Cabinet will move to revoke their citizenship.5 D$ X, w" B, q1 r% }
Q- c4 B) ]" o) I2 dCitizenship revocation is relatively uncommon in Canada with only 63 people being stripped of their citizenship since 1977, Kenney said.
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! {( ?. |0 t. S/ b7 y( v HMost were for reasons related to residence fraud, criminality and false identity, or concealing their involvement in war crimes.! x& V1 ~- Z- p4 m/ z) g; L# L
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Speaking in Vancouver on Tuesday, Kenney said Ottawa is trying to discourage immigration fraud.
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“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.
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“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.
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p& z0 K0 C) g6 J3 JKenney also announced that Canada will soon be introducing multi-year visas for low-risk visitors from around the world that will last 10 years. |
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