September 24, 2012
Introducing the Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act
Citizenship and Immigration Canada introduced The Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act in September of 2012 which expedites the removal of foreign criminals from Canada to enhance safety and security. The act focuses on three specific areas:
1. Make it more efficient for the Government to remove dangerous foreign criminals
2. Make it much challenging for individuals who may pose a risk to Canada to enter the country in the first place
3. Remove barriers for genuine visitors to enter Canada
The new act will reduce the amount of time criminals may remain on Canadian soil by up to 14 months in order to reduce any chance of further criminal commitments. Another significant change is for foreign nationals who are inadmissible on the most serious grounds (ex: security, human or international rights, organized criminality) to no longer be able to apply for a program that delays their removal by humanitarian and compassionate means. The final measure that is being taken is refusing temporary entry in exceptional cases and increasing penalties for those who try to cheat the system.
These measures are in accord with the Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act as well as the Action Plan on Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness.