Canada to revoke thousands of citizenships

Canada Immigration Forum (discussion group)


 
       
Subject: Canada to revoke thousands of citizenships
  OTTAWA — In what´s being dubbed the biggest citizenship fraud sweep in Canadian history, the federal government is set to crack down on 4,700 more people believed to have obtained citizenship or permanent resident status illegally.

The announcement comes six months after the government moved to strip 1,800 people of their Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status for the same reasons. Up until this year, Canada had revoked just 67 citizenships since the Citizenship Act came into force in 1947.

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney is expected to make the announcement that "Canadian citizenship is not for sale" on Friday, Postmedia News has learned.

He will unveil the details in Montreal where Nizar Zakka — an immigration consultant suspected of fraud — was arrested in 2009. Zakka is suspected of providing would-be Lebanese immigrants with false evidence — indicating that they were living in Quebec when they were not — to support their cases for permanent residency.

He´s also accused of filing or contributing to the filing of 861 false tax returns for at least 380 clients between 2004 and 2007. The returns allegedly were then used to claim refunds for child care and property taxes as well as the provincial sales-tax credit.

The bulk of the citizenship fraud cases are said to be linked to Zakka as well as Halifax immigration consultant Hassan Al-Awaid, who was charged in March with more than 50 citizenship fraud-related offences.

The cases are also tied to a third consultant from Mississauga, Ont., west of Toronto, who remains under investigation, according to a government source who noted the others were brought to light thanks to the new citizenship fraud tip line.

Unveiled in September, the tip line already has fielded 5,366 calls.

Letters are currently being sent to the 6,500 people from 100 countries indicating that Canada is revoking their citizenship or permanent resident status due to fraud.

This comes following a lengthy investigation by the RCMP and the Department of Citizenship and Immigration.

Alleged fraudsters, the majority of whom are not currently living in Canada, have up to 60 days to appeal the decision in Federal Court before cabinet moves to void their passports and strip them of all rights and privileges.

According to Citizenship and Immigration, to maintain permanent resident status a person must reside in Canada for at least two years within a five-year period. Permanent residents seeking citizenship must show proof that they´ve lived in Canada for at least three of the last four years before applying.

At the time of Al-Awaid´s arrest, Kenney said he was suspected of helping people "create the appearance they were residing in Canada in order to keep their permanent resident status, and ultimately attempt to acquire citizenship."

He said investigators had linked Al-Awaid to 1,100 applicants and their dependents, 76 of whom had obtained Canadian citizenship.

He noted that many people were prevented from "fraudulently obtaining citizenship" as a result of the investigation.

The government has been taking action against citizenship fraud for some time. The Cracking Down on Crooked Consultants Act, which imposes tough new penalties for immigration consultants convicted of fraud, including fines and/or prison, is now law in Canada.

tcohen(at)postmedia.com



[09-12-2011,01:31]
[**.180.238.123]
Sharon
(in reply to: Canada to revoke thousands of citizenships)
It is about time they woke up and started making sense of all this insanity; time to round up crooked immigrants and ship them out, and hold a lifelong ban on their return! No wiggling room.
[09-12-2011,18:40]
[***.202.41.244]
lulz
(in reply to: Canada to revoke thousands of citizenships)
I bet most of them will be from border cities, who live, work and spend in USA. but use border city (Canadian cities) as base for Canadian Citizenship address.

finaly Good work from Blue party!!!!!!!!!!

[09-12-2011,23:47]
[***.206.91.74]
Jamil from etobicoke
(in reply to: Canada to revoke thousands of citizenships)
I bet you all that most don´t even exist as bogus ones. They´re here just below Jason Kenney´s radar.

Could CBSA find half or even quarter of all those 1,400 Hardened Criminals? NOPE!

Did CBSA find even 10 so called War criminals? NOPE!

All the supposed thousand of PR´s can not be stripped of status until after their appeals to the IAD.

Roy
cvimmigration.com

[10-12-2011,10:31]
[**.245.183.211]
Roy
(in reply to: Canada to revoke thousands of citizenships)
Roy,

What is your point? Because people are under the radar, the fact that they got their status illegally should be ignored?

These are the kind of people that I am happy to escort to the plane myself.

Eventually they get caught. It is just matter of time.


[10-12-2011,10:54]
[**.17.35.52]
DocD
(in reply to: Canada to revoke thousands of citizenships)
Docd and sharron,
I think very soon forigners will be treated same way as they are treated in USA; discriminated and no respect
In the past, african american (black people) were targeted , but now mid-eastern and anyone close to that area will be targeted based on their color.
Privious Canadian governments kept apart from USA internal policies about immigrants but now both countries have the same policies.
What about the by birth Canadian, who abused the entire system? I bet they will be out of jail with new life within years and it does not matter what crime they commited! The best way is to close the immigration and citizenship for everyone, so our (Canada) name will not be written in history as a nation who discriminated the people based on race , religion etc.....


[10-12-2011,12:18]
[**.56.228.139]
Concerned citizen
(in reply to: Canada to revoke thousands of citizenships)
what about the ´by birth Canadians´ - unfortunately, we are stuck with them and we can´t do much about that. However, we CAN do something about those who take advantage of our system from the outside and that is what this is about.

Race, religion etc. I don´t see any indication that the rules will be applied based on that criteria.


[10-12-2011,14:42]
[**.180.238.123]
Sharon
(in reply to: Canada to revoke thousands of citizenships)
These policies remind me of the "let´s build a wall and keep ´em all out" right-wing hysteria currently going on in the states. It´s aimed at illegal Mexicans who cross over looking to leave poverty and get a better life

However it´s morphed into anti-immigrant attitudes and behaviors. Mississippi and Alabama just passed laws that make it illegal to help undocumented people and their children... no school, healthcare, or any social services.

Sure, we need to control our borders and enforce the legal system. But it´s a fine line that can be easily crossed into negative attitudes and hatred of all immigrants and foreigners where stereotyping anyone with an accent becomes normal. Let´s hope Canada doesn´t follow in the footsteps of the U.S. on this, although it´s starting to look like Harper likes what he sees south of the border.

But if this continues, I fear Canada will lose its reputation of humanity, independence, and social justice, and just another copy of the U.S. and its growing xenophobia.

[10-12-2011,15:19]
[**.47.175.80]
Richard
(in reply to: Canada to revoke thousands of citizenships)
I have a feeling the government action is being viewed by some as far more ´right´ than it actually is. Some could hope the walls are going up, but I truly don´t believe that to be the case. The far left want to paint this as draconian, the right wants to paint it as protecting the motherland. Both positions are a little hysterical. It is neither from my perspective.

We are talking 4,000 applicants out of perhaps a million that are getting the boot for fraud. Hardly a wholesale cleansing. And to be frank, they are not on a plane yet.

According to the news last night some of the folks being identified are not even contesting - they got caught and they know it. Nice try. I don´t have a problem with that.

Why have rules if you don´t intend to enforce them.

[10-12-2011,16:25]
[**.180.238.123]
Sharon
(in reply to: Canada to revoke thousands of citizenships)
This has nothing to do with Xenophobia. It is an enforcement of the law on people who cheated.

I think that the average Canadian is pretty open to diversity.

With a few exceptions such as "Concern Canadian" who still living in a cavern.
True enough that a Canadian born citizen cannot be deported but if it is found that he/she commited fraud in any other situation, it will charged like anyone else.

I wouldn´t compare Canada with the US. Thankfully We are nothing like them.

This is not witch hunting....it is the law.


[10-12-2011,20:56]
[**.17.35.52]
DocD
(in reply to: Canada to revoke thousands of citizenships)
That´s your opinion and view, and you have a right to it. It doesn´t surprise me, since your profession is immigration law enforcement.
[10-12-2011,22:03]
[**.47.175.80]
Richard