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Immigration Minister Jason Kenney says Canada is carrying out the biggest citizenship-fraud crackdown in its history — by far.
The federal government is investigating 6,500 people from more than 100 countries for their allegedly fraudulent attempts to become Canadian citizens or maintain permanent resident status.
Mr. Kenney held a news conference in Montreal on Friday to say his department is looking to revoke citizenships from more than 2,100 people who cheated the system — a total that has climbed from 1,800 last July.
The federal government is also monitoring 4,400 permanent residents believed to be involved in residence fraud, in case they try to obtain citizenship.
Mr. Kenney said nearly 1,400 of these individuals, most of whom are outside the country, have since withdrawn or abandoned their residency application because of the heightened scrutiny.
“This is by far — by many orders of magnitude — the largest enforcement action ever taken in the history of Canadian citizenship,” said Mr. Kenney, who spoke from a podium adorned with a sign that read: “Canadian citizenship is not for sale.”
The Citizenship Act was adopted in 1947 and Mr. Kenney said the federal government had yanked citizenship from about only 80 individuals until this year.
To become a citizen, a permanent resident is supposed to have lived in Canada for three years in a four-year period. Permanent residents must be physically present in Canada for two years out of five to retain their status.
Mr. Kenney also issued a warning to “crooked” immigration consultants who offer to help foreigners meet residency requirements and acquire Canadian citizenship without ever having to live in Canada.
“If you are a consultant involved in selling Canadian citizenship fraudulently to people and creating fake proof of residency — we are on to you, it's just a matter of time,” Mr. Kenney said.
He said people pay these consultants to help them assemble false proof of residency, such as renting them an apartment that may, or may not, exist.
In one case, Mr. Kenney said investigators opened the door of one phoney address to find a brick wall.
“Our intention is not to make it too difficult for law-abiding people to become citizens,” Mr. Kenney said.
Mr. Kenney said Canada has the highest rate of immigrants in the developed world who go on to become citizens.
“We have a very fair and relatively easy process, but the whole point here is for those people who legally obtain it we must protect its value.”
In July, Mr. Kenney announced the government intended to revoke the citizenship of at least 1,800 people who allegedly used fraudulent means to become Canadians.
Largest-ever crackdown on citizenship under way, Kenney says - The Globe and Mail (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/largest-ever-crackdown-on-citizenship-under-way-kenney-says/article2265793/ - broken link)
This is completely contrary to what the open-borders-liberals insist. They insist that Canada is very very friendly to illegals.
Really Canadian permanent Resident Staus and our Immigration policy is one of the toughest in the world for people that are trying to get Citizenship legally... But we just Deport people Caught here Illegally and Ban them from ever entering Canada Again since it is almost impossible to live here without a (SIN) Card.
This is completely contrary to what the open-borders-liberals insist. They insist that Canada is very very friendly to illegals.
Actually a very good friend of mine is an Immigration Lawyer and Immigration Law Professor and he would say that Canada is very intolerant of illegal immigrants. Legal, a helping hand is provided, illegal sorry buddy no help for you.
They also cut the size of their government, fired a ton of government workers and are now looking to undue their socialized medicine disaster after 20 years of failure.
They also cut the size of their government, fired a ton of government workers and are now looking to undue their socialized medicine disaster after 20 years of failure.
They are going the right way in many ways IMO.
Even if our PM has openly criticized the system, it is not politically feasible in Canada to touch that system. Harper has not done much to modify it anyway.
Yep, Canada takes immigration very seriously. I'm a Canadian citizen and it's taken me over a year to get my citizenship card (I need it to renew my passport) :/
Really Canadian permanent Resident Staus and our Immigration policy is one of the toughest in the world for people that are trying to get Citizenship legally... But we just Deport people Caught here Illegally and Ban them from ever entering Canada Again since it is almost impossible to live here without a (SIN) Card.
Do you guys get called bigots by the general immigrant population for being tough on illegal immigration? Or do they all think everyone has the right to be in Canada (illegally) because they just want a "better life"?
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