August 26, 2011

Setting the Record Straight

The “Wanted by the CBSA” list has been receiving a lot of attention in the media of late, especially since it has been extended to include individuals who have failed to comply with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and have criminal convictions in Canada.

Although there exists an extremely small percentage of foreign nationals who fall into this category the attention may serve to propagate the myth that this constitutes the majority or very high numbers of the immigrant population. The truth is that the CBSA is very efficient in facilitating the removal of individuals who are inadmissible because they are suspected of, or complicit in, war crimes or crimes against humanity and those who have been convicted for acts of serious criminality committed in Canada. Further still most foreign nationals with temporary resident status and permanent residents are law abiding and are critical to our country’s success.