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| Subject: What are my Canadian rights? |
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I am Canadian living in US temporarily while completing my masters in education..I have crossed the border many times with my husband and kids without any difficulty. This week I have had to cross on my own...the Canadian immigration officer asked me some questions that were concerning : "Where exactly are you going?" "Why?" "For what reason?" "For how long?" "You are a teacher? "Why are you living in the US?"
I know this is not supposed to happen. I know the officers stomped on my rights as a Canadian...but does this happen to other Canadians?
If so, is there an effective way to complain?
NOTE: I am Latin American. My husband is French Canadian.
[20-09-2009,15:04]
[**.228.165.89]
hoser |
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(in reply to: What are my Canadian rights?)
I fail to see what rights were trampled? That they asked your standard border crossing questions?
[20-09-2009,17:19]
[***.5.54.139]
Sharon |
(in reply to: What are my Canadian rights?)
They are not standard unless you are a landed immigrant, or hold a visa or are not legally entitled to freely move around in Canada. If you read the charter of rights and responsibilities of Canada one of our rights is the right of mobility which means that I have the right to move around in my own country without having to justify it or explain it to anyone...I was not committing a crime to enter my own country nor did they have any basis for their questions (legally) and I have a well defined canadian citizen passport....I am a citizen not a landed immigrant or refugee or anything other..
I have spoken to the immigration supervisor at the border and they have apologized but I have doubts whether this is an isolated incident.
Are you Canadian?
Ivhose
[20-09-2009,17:54]
[**.228.165.89]
hoser |
(in reply to: What are my Canadian rights?)
Everyone crossing the border is asked these types of questions. We are Americans with Canadian PR and cross the border regularly. We are asked various questions every time, ranging in our general vacation plans to whether we have Cuban cigars on us to why we live in Canada. We are asked these questions on both sides of the border, and none infringe on our rights at all. It is in the interest of both countries to know who is going in and out and why. If you have children and they are not with you, you can imagine that a border officer may want to insure that they are safe.
Don´t feel slighted. The questioning is all totally normal.
[20-09-2009,17:56]
[**.252.115.196]
wannabecanadian |
(in reply to: What are my Canadian rights?)
yes, I am Canadian. The charter section you quote protects the freedom of movement WITHIN Canada. You are absolutely right. A border is exactly what it is called. It is a line between rights and no rights.
You state you are a citizen. How does the border official know your statements are true without asking a few questions. Waiving a passport does not cut it any more. You weren´t detained, or strip searched, or taken inside for questioning so answer the questions and be done.
Sounds like a tempest in a teapot to me.
[20-09-2009,18:30]
[***.5.54.139]
Sharon |
(in reply to: What are my Canadian rights?)
I think that this is a pscychological game.
If the same standard questions are asked in a polite tone don´t seem anything unusual or insulting, however, depending on the officers mode sometimes the same questions may sound insulting.
Though no way to say by asking these questions the officers are corssing their limit, this is their job and exactly what they are supposed to do.
[20-09-2009,20:58]
[**.12.123.95]
DC_RC |
(in reply to: What are my Canadian rights?)
This is a good example of people who don´t know what to complain about and try to find anything to complain.....
Just remember when you were latin American...remember what you were and what you are now...You have to thank Government of Canada for granting the citizenship to you..
These questions are very normal. They are asked on both sides, especially for those who are not "pure canadians"..i.e. "naturalized aliens" like you... The officer has the right to check how you obtained your citizenship and ask about your activities on both sides.
Move on in your life and thanks God for being Canadian, not Mexican..and always remember how you were in the past in order to be " a conten Canadian", not a "problematic Canadian".........!! .
[20-09-2009,22:21]
[**.80.235.13]
Anonymous |
(in reply to: What are my Canadian rights?)
[**.80.235.13]
Anonymous
You are as idiot as COSTS.
[20-09-2009,22:55]
[***.161.95.55]
Anonymous |
(in reply to: What are my Canadian rights?)
SLOW DOWN PEOPLE
Focus on what happened this weekend at Ontario border crossings right after the Buffalo Bills game. 18 CBSA staff booked off sick all at once and all the Bills fans from Ontario had great difficulty getting back into Canada.
CBSA Border staff are in a labour dispute and focus on what is important. When one is fighting for enough funds to feed their family they deliberately use all methods in their arsenal.
Who cares if your Hispanic and your husband is a French Canadian. Why did you play the race card??? Now pulling the race card I wonder why, trying to evoke hatred? Which border crossing etc. There was nothing racial in the questions.
If you are Canadian you have a right to enter but like section 15 of the Charter "EVERYONE IN CANADA" and you hoser, were NOT IN CANADA so the charter did not cover you at that second.
Living in North America and you did not know how to pull off and go inside and ask for a Supervisor to lodge your complaint, YEAH RIGHT.
I doubt your a hoser.
Trying to stir things up eh?
Roy
www.cvimmigration.com
[21-09-2009,10:30]
[**.229.22.108]
Roy |
(in reply to: What are my Canadian rights?)
I have to agree with hoser. For a citizen to be so harrassed by an immigration officer of one´s one country is out-of-line and unacceptable. DC is corect in that politeness would have gone a along way in this situation. When we start treating our own citizens so rudely with personal intrusive questioning, we´ve lost our own self respect and democratic ideals. I got that kind of grilling in the 70´s crossing into GDR.
Roy, consider not being so judgemental and suspicious of people when they post their issues here. Most don´t have evil agendas. In this case, just because a border officer is tired, underpaid, etc., is no excuse to behave unprofessionally. How acceptable would it be for your surgeon to botch your operation because he´s tired, underpaid, or overworked?
Race often is the factor in these situations, and if you don´t believe me, come on down to any city in the deep South and see how people of skin color are still often treated with rudeness and disrespect.
Finally, although I laugh at it now, coming back to the States from Canada a couple years ago, the American border officer looked at my wife´s passport with place of birth in Poland, and started blurting out Islamic surnames from the news, trying to get a reaction out of us. We just looked forward impassively, and finally got the ok to go through. Outrageous yet ridiculously funny at the same time.
[21-09-2009,11:59]
[**.192.28.31]
Richard |
(in reply to: What are my Canadian rights?)
My god,
What are you complaining about?
There is no such thing as a immigration officer working at the land borders.
They are called Border Services Officers and under the CUSTOMS ACT, you are legally entitled to answer all questions imposed upon you by the officer.
Yes you may have a right to enter Canada, but not without a proper risk asessment being done on you.
Noone has a right to enter Canada without being questioned by an officer, NOONE.
Getting upset abiouyt being questioned at an INTERNATIONAL BORDER is stupid and immature.
Go ahead and complain, you will get laughed out of the building.
The officer does not know you, and without asking you questions that he feels will satisfy his curiousity how is he/she to know that you are not smuggling drugs/weapons/child pornography etc...
As a Canadian if you are a wanted felon (again risk asessment) you have aright to enter Canada....right into the slammer.
As a perfectly normal and innocent Canadian Citizen traveller you have a right to enter Canada, but not after (and this is 100% legal) being frisked, emptying your pockets, having your vehilce examined thoroughly, and ANSWERING ALL QUESTIONS IMPOSED UPON YOU BY A BORDER SERVICES OFFICER.
Get your panties out of the knot you put them in and suck it up.
Yes you have a tonne of rights inside Canada, but if you feel that you want to cross an international border then suck it up.
If you are one of the fools who beleive in a country without borders, then you should take a look at the amount of drugs and criminals (rapists, murderers, terrorists, theifs etc...) are arrested or turned away from Canada on a daily basis.
get over yourself.
jp
[21-09-2009,13:43]
[**.86.138.75]
jp |
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