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1,800 new Canadians poised to lose citizenship: Kenney% n" n' p, e F6 ^- t
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Richard J. Brennan; Y8 W# J) p- D- J. P; x
National Affairs Writer 7 ?' x$ t% T. J) e# X/ h3 k2 z
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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.- h/ E) g+ {- k8 h
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“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.$ C' I3 ~5 \6 q! a5 R* a
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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.
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; P0 Z( p! k& l. B+ [# }8 F' ZThe 1,800 were identified following a three-year investigation by the RCMP, other police forces and Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
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p) c6 m; M% t/ X4 x$ P6 S! Q) z4 B“By the way, we are not done with our investigation” Kenney said, noting that many of the accused live outside the country.
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9 C, ~+ o' |# c8 k+ \( U+ H0 uThey can challenge the decision in Federal Court. If not, Cabinet will move to revoke their citizenship.- K; X4 L8 x4 _5 F+ |' {
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Citizenship revocation is relatively uncommon in Canada with only 63 people being stripped of their citizenship since 1977, Kenney said.- Z6 m: [6 }' G, g
* ?% P! T( r$ i* A- M, \5 kMost were for reasons related to residence fraud, criminality and false identity, or concealing their involvement in war crimes.
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2 m/ P0 `& `# h: N% hSpeaking 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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& B' J6 H# n" c* X' R& {4 K“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.1 q& r2 g! ~4 z' U! \% H+ S
' \( ~7 X. X) V0 g0 ]8 XKenney 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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