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1,800 new Canadians poised to lose citizenship: Kenney
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9 v( C# K% `( ^" xRichard J. Brennan
0 t& M' e; v# l( B7 ^7 \9 [; lNational Affairs Writer
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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.$ N5 i' G% K W( Y
. w0 P& F5 c( r' j# G3 R“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.: [2 @/ p/ Z, P, f1 P, ^) r
4 N7 {: W* E: iKenney 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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# X/ F+ d1 p5 ~, j3 _' \The 1,800 were identified following a three-year investigation by the RCMP, other police forces and Citizenship and Immigration Canada.6 w- t; \0 e: @: k5 C
! H8 G) l v( B" \" L" e+ D“By the way, we are not done with our investigation” Kenney said, noting that many of the accused live outside the country.. `7 d$ I# r2 y7 t+ l6 ?
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They can challenge the decision in Federal Court. If not, Cabinet will move to revoke their citizenship.
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Citizenship revocation is relatively uncommon in Canada with only 63 people being stripped of their citizenship since 1977, Kenney said.
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2 |" g* [8 h+ N8 W5 oMost were for reasons related to residence fraud, criminality and false identity, or concealing their involvement in war crimes.
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$ ]7 N$ {2 f0 v! Z; cSpeaking in Vancouver on Tuesday, Kenney said Ottawa is trying to discourage immigration fraud.
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; b# i0 F" z/ D6 W1 u! M( P- n“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.$ s; _: m- R- H2 |4 ~
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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. |
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