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1,800 new Canadians poised to lose citizenship: Kenney0 t+ o$ b& t; h, K1 B& ^
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Richard J. Brennan, E" M: ]8 n: W8 b$ G4 n
National Affairs Writer
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8 z3 |2 `# L; j% Z X$ rImmigration Minister Jason Kenney confirmed Wednesday that as many as 1,800 new Canadians could be stripped of their citizenship because they were obtained fraudulently.
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# O. N1 W+ p( G& d: Z1 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.. V. ?5 @2 z1 D' V g
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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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5 V2 z8 a$ @' @3 _- g2 f* WThe 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.2 `; W- d% E+ \0 ~2 L
4 {; ?$ [! X. ]: [4 B) y- h' XThey can challenge the decision in Federal Court. If not, Cabinet will move to revoke their citizenship.. O. ?) o/ R. _( _/ `
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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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1 g5 v" g6 l9 V) z) aMost were for reasons related to residence fraud, criminality and false identity, or concealing their involvement in war crimes.6 _% l2 Y9 H* h* C
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Speaking in Vancouver on Tuesday, Kenney said Ottawa is trying to discourage immigration fraud.4 s- s6 d& g8 ~
/ S0 d6 W2 U! |1 `. w“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./ A, m6 B6 m- {, s( Z6 Q) ^" Y
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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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