 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
1,800 new Canadians poised to lose citizenship: Kenney
, n$ J: _8 O" }& h X x8 y% d" X8 l4 |. s$ x4 t. n( q6 O8 C
Richard J. Brennan
+ f4 Z' y5 k6 N% VNational Affairs Writer
/ G# Q* V3 g$ Y; _2 ?
( W7 W, U( m M, U/ r" X5 X
! x( r2 y5 z- ?5 Y8 UImmigration Minister Jason Kenney confirmed Wednesday that as many as 1,800 new Canadians could be stripped of their citizenship because they were obtained fraudulently.# K- t- \1 e& x6 s+ {
( G9 ]: c; B2 A) \3 y A. h4 n% E
“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.* r2 |: K( C- w1 J
. I% g5 V U9 t& y% kKenney 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.
: J2 n* e. L9 t% p
! z' c/ H; x, e" G+ gThe 1,800 were identified following a three-year investigation by the RCMP, other police forces and Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
4 V" Z" x) @. Y. q; @) p2 W! `2 ?# F# m- s9 \: B9 Q0 q' B$ j5 @+ f
“By the way, we are not done with our investigation” Kenney said, noting that many of the accused live outside the country.) X' l( v) k) J' n+ P0 P
% U6 i4 A% _8 Z; u1 y2 _They can challenge the decision in Federal Court. If not, Cabinet will move to revoke their citizenship., n% S) M. M* }* p
& J: {# l3 |* b% _ G$ }Citizenship revocation is relatively uncommon in Canada with only 63 people being stripped of their citizenship since 1977, Kenney said.) h/ F2 M9 A% \/ }* a8 H- f( u
! N; t; e& P& ]7 W/ K' R5 r0 [Most were for reasons related to residence fraud, criminality and false identity, or concealing their involvement in war crimes.
2 ?" V6 `# |4 F: {6 @8 z" E6 K5 O; y) r. r$ |' X D4 w v, O9 Z9 N
Speaking in Vancouver on Tuesday, Kenney said Ottawa is trying to discourage immigration fraud.
2 u) n. R( R Z, @% q- g
$ ]8 o1 W+ p2 k% V* J“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.
3 ` k$ j6 [" [: R: [+ q
! _7 K9 r: e. _8 @“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.
4 v. d0 v. b% |, k3 C
& |6 {9 w$ m( ^) C8 u! tKenney also announced that Canada will soon be introducing multi-year visas for low-risk visitors from around the world that will last 10 years. |
|