Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act Becomes Law

Protecting the Safety and Security of Canadian Families

Ottawa, June 20, 2013 — Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney welcomed the final passage and Royal Assent of The Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act, which speeds up the removal of dangerous foreign criminals from Canada.  

“This new law will keep Canadians safer by ending endless appeals and loopholes that were being used by dangerous foreign criminals to delay their deportation, during which time many committed more crimes,” said Minister Kenney. “Canadians can now feel more confident in the integrity of our immigration system because violent criminals and fraudsters will be kept out while genuine visitors are welcome.”

The Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act, strengthens the integrity of Canada’s immigration system by amending the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to:

1. Make it easier for the Government to remove dangerous foreign criminals from Canada;
2. Make it harder for those who may pose a risk to Canada to enter our country in the first place; and
3. Remove unnecessary barriers for genuine visitors who want to come to Canada.

The Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act has received widespread acclaim, including support from the Canadian Association of Police Chiefs, the Canadian Police Association, Victims of Violence and Immigrants for Canada, among many others.

The Government is delivering on its commitment to deport dangerous foreign criminals faster by limiting their access to the Immigration and Refugee Board’s Immigration Appeal Division (IAD). This will reduce the amount of time certain criminals may remain in Canada by up to 18 months, preventing them from committing more crimes against innocent, law-abiding Canadians.

Another change in the legislation ensures that foreign nationals who are inadmissible on the most serious grounds – security, human or international rights violations, or organized criminality – are no longer able to delay their removal by applying for a program that is meant for cases deserving of humanitarian and compassionate consideration. This change is consistent with the government’s no safe haven policy.

Other changes to protect the safety and security of Canadians include a new Ministerial authority to refuse temporary entry in exceptional cases, and increased penalties for those who try to cheat the system.

The legislation also facilitates the temporary entry of low-risk individuals who would have previously been refused entry because one of their family members was deemed inadmissible for non-security reasons, such as health.

“Canadians are generous and welcoming people, but they have no tolerance for criminals and fraudsters abusing our generosity,” said Minister Kenney.  “We want an immigration system that is open to genuine visitors, while at the same time prevents the entry of foreign criminals and denies them the ability to endlessly abuse our generosity.”

For more information, please view the backgrounders:

• The Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act
• Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act: What has changed?
• Top 5 Reasons for Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act
• Support for Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act

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For further information (media only), please contact:

Alexis Pavlich
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-954-1064

Media Relations
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca

Building a stronger Canada: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) strengthens Canada’s economic, social and cultural prosperity, helping ensure Canadian safety and security while managing one of the largest and most generous immigration programs in the world.