Making Canadian citizenship matter

[GAP]

Making Canadian citizenship matter
Article Link
National Post Editorial Board  Feb 21, 2012

Is Jason Kenney the best Immigration minister Canada has ever had? Very likely.

Mr. Kenney has done much to plug the gaping holes in our immigration and refugee system and to restore the value of Canadian citizenship. On Thursday, in his latest move to fix a broken refugee determination process, Mr. Kenney introduced a law that he hopes will cut the time it takes to assess the validity of a standard refugee application from 1,000 days to just 45. Even if he manages to cut the wait time to just 100 days or 200 days, his bill should save provincial and federal taxpayers billions.

Reducing the time it takes federal officials to examine claims for asylum is critical. The longer an applicant gets to remain in Canada before a decision is made, the less likely bogus applicants are to be expelled. People who stay here three or more years waiting for their cases to be adjudicated put down roots. They establish homes, have children, develop friendships and forge connections in the community. Then, if their applications are rejected, they plead that it is unfair to expel such a well-established new Canadian.

To speed up the process, Mr. Kenney proposes two major changes: First, he and his department will devise a list of “safe” democratic countries in which human rights are respected and from which few real refugees are likely. If you have “fled” one of these nations and are seeking asylum in Canada, the minister and his officials will have the authority to dismiss your request summarily. Second, once dismissed, you will have little or no right to appeal. One of the reasons so many refugee claimants are able to stay in Canada so long before being turned down is that there are as many as nine levels of appeal. By the time unsuccessful applicants have exhausted all those avenues, they can be old and grey — and the system can have more trouble sending them home.

This bill is merely the latest in a long line of reforms Mr. Kenney has made. He has also attempted to cut down on human trafficking — the practice of smuggling refugee and immigrant claimants into Canada (usually by boat) for a fee. He now also requires such boat people who show up on our shores uninvited and undocumented to remain on naval bases or in holding camps until their cases can be heard. While that means they may be in detention for a year or so, it is an improvement over the previous practice of letting them integrate into the community while they await a hearing. Under that policy, people whose claims were ultimately rejected were widely dispersed and often hard to locate when it came time to send them back.
More on link

 

[larry Strong]

Now watch the immigraton shysters just howl with indignation. ;D I like it.

 

[estoguy]

Love it!  Now that we have a majority government, these changes can be made much quicker.  I'm all for it! Good job, Mr. Kenney!

 

[GAP]

Ottawa to tighten spousal immigration sponsorship rules
CTVNews.ca Staff Fri Mar 02, 07:50 PM
Article Link

In a move intended to crack down on bogus marriages, Ottawa has increased the length of time that a sponsored immigrant can turn around and sponsor a new partner.

The new rules take effect immediately and are meant to prevent people from fraudulently marrying Canadians to get into the country, only to turn around and leave that sponsor to bring in another spouse.

Canadians who sponsor immigrants are financially responsible for them for three years. Under the new rules, a spouse must wait five years from the day they are granted permanent residence status in Canada before they can sponsor a new spouse.

"I held town hall meetings across the country to hear from victims of marriage fraud," said Citizen and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney in a statement. The minister made the announcement Friday in Brampton, Ont.

"In addition to the heartbreak and pain that came from being lied to and deceived, these people were angry. They felt they had been used as a way to get to Canada. We're taking action because immigration to Canada should not be built upon deceit."

The minister was not immediately available for a comment.

The rule changes are in line with United States, Australia and the United Kingdom which have waiting periods of two to three years before a sponsored spouse could be come a permanent resident of Canada.

Kenney has long promised to tackle marriage fraud. Two years ago, Ottawa held online consultations to solicit public opinion on the issue.

The new measures come just weeks after Ottawa resident Lainie Towell's ex-husband was deported to his native Guinea. Towell's husband left her nearly one year after they exchanged vows in Guinea and four weeks after he arrived in Canada as Towell's sponsored spouse.
end

 

[brihard]

As corollary, I hope they'll move more actively on recognition of foreign education and professional accreditations. At a fertility rate well below population replacement, we need immigrants. Any effort to exclude those who are not economically advantageous should be matched by efforts to better bring in those who are, particularly as we come into the demographic testicle-kick that's going to strip many of our professions down to bare bones manning.

 

[ModlrMike]

As corollary, I hope they'll move more actively on recognition of foreign education and professional accreditation.

I would agree, to a point. Regulated professions have generally accepted standards that must be adhered to. The primary requirement for foreign grads is that their education and training is substantially similar to what would be gained by someone trained here. While I don't generally support more government, I think there is a place for each province to establish a credentialing service, which is then shared nationally. That way when a Journeyman Carpenter for instance, wants to write the provincial ticket, his/her education and training will be evaluated and given due consideration. What we don't need are thousands of poorly trained professionals entering the labour force. Neither do we need Canadians going overseas for a cheap, potentially substandard education when our schools are going to struggle to fill seats here.

Speaking solely for medicine... I have no trouble getting care from a foreign trained doctor... just so long as their training was equivalent to what could be had here, and that they passed the same exams that home grown grads had to in order to practice.

 

[brihard]

I agree with everything you just said. I wasn't suggesting the process itself should be lessened in quality, but that sufficient resources should be allocated to make it take no longer than is necessary.

 

[ModlrMike]

I agree with everything you just said. I wasn't suggesting the process itself should be lessened in quality, but that sufficient resources should be allocated to make it take no longer than is necessary.

I had no intention of suggesting you didn't.

I'm just tired of people complaining "I had a doctor driving my cab." No, you had a taxi driver. There are places in this world where one year of post-secondary will make you a doctor. That place does not need to be here.


*modified to fix a little grammar.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

I had no intention of suggesting you didn't.

I just tired of people complaining "I had a doctor driving my cab." No, you had a taxi driver. There are places in this world where one year of post-secondary will make you a doctor. That place does not need to be here.

Or having a barber's license will make you a dentist ;D

 

[Old Sweat]

Re medical certification, a year or so back I had a routine medical appointment with my doctor. I am used to medical students, internists, etc appearing from time to time, but on this occasion a rather attractive "older" lady of Middle Eastern apperance did the routine checks, including renewing a perscription. I asked where she was from, and she told me she was Egyptian and that both she and her husband were going through the certification program to be licenced to practice in Ontario. I wecomed her to Canada, and she rather emotionally replied that that meant a lot to her.

So there are procedures in place, but as mentioned not everybody will make the cut.

 

[Edward Campbell]

More on this important topic in this article which is reproduced under the Fair Dealing provisions of the Copyright Act from the National Post:

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/09/09/jason-kenney-expected-to-announce-2900-being-stripped-of-citizenship-for-fraud/

Jason Kenney announces 3,100 people being stripped of citizenship for fraud

Stewart Bell

Sep 9, 2012

A widening federal crackdown has identified a record number of people suspected of acquiring their Canadian citizenship and immigration status through fraud.

The number of newcomers under investigation for misrepresenting themselves in their dealings with Citizenship and Immigration Canada has ballooned to an historic 11,000 as a result of nation-wide enforcement.

The figure is almost double the 6,500 identified by federal officials less than a year ago, suggesting that Canada’s citizenship and immigration fraud problems may be more widespread than previously thought.

Often facilitated by immigration consultants, this type of fraud has allowed foreigners to sponsor relatives and qualify for Canadian passports, benefits and the right to vote — all without ever having lived in Canada for any significant period.

Jason Kenney, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, announced the new figures on Monday. He said officials were stripping 3,100 Canadians of their citizenship for fraud (200 more than the 2,900 identified by a government source before the announcement).

Another 500 citizenship applications have been turned down and 2,500 have been flagged for “concerns,” Mr. Kenney said. Almost 1,500 applicants “linked to investigations” have abandoned their citizenship applications. “We will not stand by and allow people to lie and cheat their way into becoming citizens,” he said.

The announcement comes nine months after Mr. Kenney said his department was working with the Canada Border Services Agency and RCMP to combat the problem, and vowed to prosecute those involved and strip them of their Canadian status.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that a percentage of applicants from the Middle East obtain permanent resident status, then Canadian citizenship, with the goal of acquiring a second passport as insurance​

Since then, dozens of charges have been laid, mostly against immigration consultants accused of helping clients defraud the government. Mr. Kenney has said consultants were collecting “upwards of $25,000” per family for this service, making it a multi-million dollar racket.

At least 5,000 of the 11,000 now under investigation are permanent residents suspected of committing residence fraud, which occurs when an immigrant claims to have moved to Canada but actually continues to live abroad.

Immigrants are required to actually live in Canada to maintain their status. But officials have been documenting a growing number who only come to Canada long enough to get their immigration papers stamped.

They then return to their home countries. Nonetheless, they pretend to be living in Canada so they can sponsor relatives and qualify for Canadian citizenship after three years. In some cases, those committing residence fraud have set up elaborate paper trails to give the appearance they are living in Canada.

Many of those involved in the scam are from the Middle East, particularly Lebanon. While they do not wish to actually move to Canada, they want an escape hatch in the event their home countries become unstable, according to internal documents.

“Anecdotal evidence suggests that a percentage of applicants from the Middle East obtain permanent resident status, then Canadian citizenship, with the goal of acquiring a second passport as insurance in case of instability in their country of first residence,” reads a federal study.

[M]any permanent resident applicants are reluctant to leave the Gulf to settle in Canada permanently but want to obtain PR [Permanent Resident] status and citizenship for reasons of security​

The study, released under the Access to Information Act to Vancouver lawyer Richard Kurland, found a significant level of fraud among permanent residents applying to sponsor family members in Lebanon.

Only residents of Canada can sponsor a relative to immigrate. But the study said up to a third of Lebanese sponsorship cases were suspect. In other words, the sponsors did not really reside in Canada but were pretending to in order to help their relatives acquire immigrant status.

The problem is also said to be acute in the Persian Gulf, with its high-paying jobs and business opportunities.

“As a result,” reads another government report released to Mr. Kurland, “many permanent resident applicants are reluctant to leave the Gulf to settle in Canada permanently but want to obtain PR [Permanent Resident] status and citizenship for reasons of security, the future of their children and a potential doubling of their salary by virtue of holding a Canadian passport.” It said a “significant” number of sponsorships were fraudulent.

A common scenario involves immigrant families. While the spouse and children do live full-time in Canada, the breadwinner continues to work abroad but lies about it to immigration authorities to maintain Canadian status. Investigators have been identifying such cases partly through a recently-established telephone tip line.

A source said the spike in the fraud numbers was also the result of a new case management system that alerts enforcement officials when a large number of immigrants give the same address as their home in Canada — which can be an indicator of residence fraud.

Revoking permanent resident status from fraudsters is fairly straight forward, but a Cabinet order is required to strip citizenship from a Canadian. Some are expected to fight the decision through the courts.

National Post
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This is a good sign that the government takes its responsibility towards our citizenship seriously. There is some political risk, especially with the communities that are most often using our citizenship as a matter of convenience, but my guesstimate is that, even amongst Arab-Canadians, opinions and political loyalties are more likely to be guided by economic issues than by either "tough on illegal immigration" or even pro-Israel policies.

 

[Canadian.Trucker]

I'm glad that something is finally being done about this.  Abuses of our immigration system have become rampant, in part due to the bureaucracy allowing the abuse to be all too easy.

Good job Mr. Kenney, keep it up.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

The education issue as mentioned needs addressing, my wife was forced to do basically a degree in law again to take the bar. She actually found the bar exam here easier than the one in Malaysia. The study material was basically the same common law cases as she studied overseas. Only the constitutional law course was new. She should have been allowed to challenge the Bar directly, but the system is designed to protect the locals and keep outsiders from getting jobs.

 

[Edward Campbell]

The education issue as mentioned needs addressing, my wife was forced to do basically a degree in law again to take the bar. She actually found the bar exam here easier than the one in Malaysia. The study material was basically the same common law cases as she studied overseas. Only the constitutional law course was new. She should have been allowed to challenge the Bar directly, but the system is designed to protect the locals and keep outsiders from getting jobs.

You're quite right, the <insert province name here> College of Physicians of Surgeons, Association of Professional Engineers of <province> and <provincial name> Bar Society are all trade unions that want to restrict jobs to their own members.

Not all foreign credentials are fully acceptable, but some are and we really do need to make it easier for qualified professionals to challenge for certification - not easier to pass, mind you, just to easier challenge.

 

[Old Sweat]

A couple of years back I went for a routine appointment at our family doctor. He turned me over to a youngish woman of Middle Eastern descent. After she finished I questioned her on her circumstances. She replied that both she and her husband were enrolled in the family medicine residency program run by UWA to qualify them to practice in Canada. She ended by saying they were Egyptian and thanked me profusely when I welcomed them to Canada.

 

[ModlrMike]

You're quite right, the <insert province name here> College of Physicians of Surgeons, Association of Professional Engineers of <province> and <provincial name> Bar Society are all trade unions that want to restrict jobs to their own members.

Not all foreign credentials are fully acceptable, but some are and we really do need to make it easier for qualified professionals to challenge for certification - not easier to pass, mind you, just to easier challenge.

Quite right, Edward. I think the Foreign Credentials Referral Office is a good tool. However it looks like "Physician" is not one of the occupations they cover. That being said, a national clearing house for foreign credentials is invaluable. With so many places to study and qualify abroad, no one college or association can keep track. Provided we ask no more of the foreign trained than we do of the domestically trained, then there should be no problems.

As far as the physician subject, I can only ask "What if it were your life that needed saving? Wouldn't you want the doctor to have the appropriate qualifications and education?"

 

[Colin Parkinson]

It does not help that embassy staff tell people that having university credentials is a good thing when they come to Canada. Many people I spoke to came here believing that their degrees were worth something and were shocked that they were not accepted. All of them said the embassy staff had told them otherwise.

 

[jeffb]

I don't understand why this credentialling can't happen PRIOR to immigration? Wouldn't it be better for the system, and the immigrant, if they came here ready to work or at least with all their knowledge type testing done? That way, all they would have to do when they get here would be the understudying or hands on stuff. At least they wouldn't be coming here with false expectations.

 

[Eaglelord17]

Well considering we have a major shortage of doctors I personally don't care if they are up to the same standard, as long as they can do general practice it's all good. I met a former Russian brain surgeon who was training to become a health inspector as they 'weren't' qualified to be a doctor. Makes you wonder what they ask of you to be 'qualified'

 

[ModlrMike]

Well considering we have a major shortage of doctors I personally don't care if they are up to the same standard, as long as they can do general practice it's all good. I met a former Russian brain surgeon who was training to become a health inspector as they 'weren't' qualified to be a doctor. Makes you wonder what they ask of you to be 'qualified'

So we lower the standard because they trained elsewhere, meanwhile expecting better from our own sons and daughters? Lowering the standard is not the solution to the problem. A single repository of equivalents so as to assist the foreign trained is what's required.