Bezan Tables Motion to Uphold Integrity of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
UCCLA, OTTAWA – April 20, 2009
James Bezan, Member of Parliament for Selkirk-Interlake tabled a Private Members motion in the House of Commons calling upon the government to uphold the integrity of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
M-356 asks the government to take necessary steps to refuse entry to Canada to people who have engaged in, or been a member of a group that has engaged in acts of espionage, subversion, terrorism, genocide, or crimes against humanity. It also calls on the government to denaturalize and deport those who have obtained Canadian citizenship under false pretences and to enforce removal orders against all persons who are inadmissible to Canada.
“The people of Canada have always taken strong positions denouncing and combating crimes against humanity. Canada has always stood on solid ground opposing the Holocaust in Germany, the Holodomor in Ukraine, the Armenian and Rwandan genocides, and we have been actively engaged in the war on terrorism,” Bezan said. “Why would we allow people who have been involved in these crimes to come to Canada?”
This week, a Federal Court Judge refused an appeal of a deportation order for an ex-KGB agent that has been in Canada for the last 12 years, admitted on a student visa. Bezan believes that the Department of Citizenship and Immigration and the court have made sound decisions in this case in accordance with existing legislation.
“Canada should not be a safe haven for terrorists or former members of any communist state's secret police forces,” Bezan stated. “People that have been members of organizations such as the KGB, Gestapo, Al Qaeda, or the Taliban do not meet the requirements for entry to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. If they have entered Canada, then they should be deported,” said Bezan.
For more information, please contact: Office of James Bezan, MP Phone: 613-992-2032 E-mail: media@jamesbezan.com
M-356 — April 20, 2009 — Mr. Bezan (Selkirk—Interlake)
That, in the opinion of the House, in order to ensure that Canada is not a safe haven for any individual who has engaged in or been a member of an organization where reasonable grounds exist to believe have engaged in an act of espionage or an act of subversion against a democratic government, institution, process or committed terrorism or genocide or crimes against humanity, as they are understood in Canada, the government should take all necessary steps to:
(a) allow visa entry only to persons that meet the requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Regulations;
(b) denaturalize and deport all persons who have obtained citizenship, permanent residence or refugee status by means of false pretences or the concealment of material facts; and
(c) enforce removal orders against all persons who are inadmissible to Canada and not in possession of a valid Temporary Residence Permit.