 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
1,800 new Canadians poised to lose citizenship: Kenney% m& Q0 U! G2 F
W3 j' ?" U- J
Richard J. Brennan' b/ o5 i( a, t+ d2 c
National Affairs Writer
; f# e3 j6 S4 I0 \- x
8 f6 k: @) P) F0 K3 L: J6 u$ [1 J
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.7 ]3 F/ Y) o9 v4 m, X
3 I0 L5 {( G# ]* Z+ w
“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.
. @9 j' G$ c+ e! `0 U7 u1 n4 F. A* l' y. w+ f6 A
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.
- ?; o$ `/ @# i) c7 G; ]' n
6 c. G% Q5 J* O: _8 oThe 1,800 were identified following a three-year investigation by the RCMP, other police forces and Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
2 s. v9 z, g2 s- t
+ @1 l: W, c! k“By the way, we are not done with our investigation” Kenney said, noting that many of the accused live outside the country.
% N/ Q: D3 }4 d; \' G8 p9 T+ b) ~2 b( _- I7 Z( j/ h
They can challenge the decision in Federal Court. If not, Cabinet will move to revoke their citizenship.' {# d3 V! x5 q% p, A+ s, W* C
8 n8 g6 K2 m5 |& GCitizenship revocation is relatively uncommon in Canada with only 63 people being stripped of their citizenship since 1977, Kenney said.
4 I/ r3 ~2 J5 K: _1 q; y) X0 _3 x' j
Most were for reasons related to residence fraud, criminality and false identity, or concealing their involvement in war crimes.
0 z) Q; R" t! ~# X6 d9 a/ W* B& N( j. s/ x# O8 A
Speaking in Vancouver on Tuesday, Kenney said Ottawa is trying to discourage immigration fraud./ u- Y* Z& N6 n$ v( H
F" ~4 I4 N+ p1 W* b. R“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.) T$ G9 V* X" d& z ] h( \+ k
% R6 l ]3 v3 S, R% x
“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.) z: {( A$ L1 o" W$ x
" u8 n# T/ w' U. |( j
Kenney also announced that Canada will soon be introducing multi-year visas for low-risk visitors from around the world that will last 10 years. |
|