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1,800 new Canadians poised to lose citizenship: Kenney: k$ D% G% r$ n. ?! W
9 ~, q$ |7 i) J J3 SRichard J. Brennan5 U1 k* H! ]4 r8 }/ f0 A7 |! Y3 F
National Affairs Writer
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& Q! k2 Y1 O& M+ g( O& Q" yImmigration Minister Jason Kenney confirmed Wednesday that as many as 1,800 new Canadians could be stripped of their citizenship because they were obtained fraudulently.$ g1 [# N# B" u+ \
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“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. q: x5 A$ E8 }$ n
8 E7 U( i( D9 \/ i: ]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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The 1,800 were identified following a three-year investigation by the RCMP, other police forces and Citizenship and Immigration Canada.3 [/ H! F4 t/ U& i! y0 _
2 J- c5 k0 G. B* Z" A9 y“By the way, we are not done with our investigation” Kenney said, noting that many of the accused live outside the country.
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6 ]) J! \$ H8 N9 _* K# dThey can challenge the decision in Federal Court. If not, Cabinet will move to revoke their citizenship.1 Y) g2 e! C, ^6 x. u" Z
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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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Most were for reasons related to residence fraud, criminality and false identity, or concealing their involvement in war crimes.
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Speaking in Vancouver on Tuesday, Kenney said Ottawa is trying to discourage immigration fraud.
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5 p, y9 c( ] G9 l9 `“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.6 u8 [0 V# \8 Q+ x/ v% d
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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.$ ]+ O& P$ F. t9 a
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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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