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Calgary, February 19, 2014 — Today Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander reinforced the government’s commitment to tackling citizenship fraud through measures proposed in Bill C-24, the Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act.
Under the new legislation, the government will have the authority to develop regulations to designate a regulatory body whose members would be authorized to act as consultants on citizenship matters. This change will help protect applicants and deter third-party fraud.
Bill C-24 reinforces the value of citizenship by cracking down on fraud and ensuring Canadian citizenship is only offered to those who play by the rules. Proposed measures include:
- stronger penalties for fraud and misrepresentation (a maximum fine of $100,000 and/or five years in prison);
- expanding the grounds to bar an application for citizenship to include foreign criminality which will help improve program integrity; and
- making it an offence for unauthorized individuals to knowingly represent or advise a person on a citizenship application or hearing for a fee.
Quick facts
- Ongoing large-scale fraud investigations conducted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have identified more than 3,000 citizens and 5,000 permanent residents linked to major investigations—a majority of them related to residence.
- In addition, nearly 2,000 individuals linked to the citizenship fraud investigations have withdrawn their applications.
Quotes
“The government is cracking down on citizenship fraud by enforcing stronger penalties for those who do not play by the rules. Changes to the Citizenship Act reinforce the value of citizenship and will help ensure new Canadians are fully prepared to participate in Canadian life and have a stronger attachment to our country.”
Chris Alexander, Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister
“Stronger penalties for those who commit citizenship fraud will protect the integrity of Canadian citizenship. The government’s changes to the Citizenship Act reinforce the message that Canadian citizenship is valued around the globe and will be afforded those who recognize that it comes with duties and rights, privileges and responsibilities.”
Chris Alexander, Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister
Related products
- News release: Strengthening and Modernizing the Citizenship Act: Reinforcing the value of Canadian citizenship while continuing to move toward a faster and more efficient system
- Blueprint for Citizenship Improvements
- Reinforcing the Value of Canadian Citizenship
- Cracking Down on Citizenship Fraud
- Protecting and Promoting Canada’s Interests and Values
- Extending citizenship to “Lost Canadians”
- A comparative view
- Graphic: Strengthening Canadian Citizenship—Shortening Processing Times
- Graphic: Strengthening Canadian Citizenship—Reducing Canada’s Citizenship Backlog
- Graphic: Reducing Processing Times—Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act Amendments
- Graphic: Strengthening Canadian Citizenship—Streamlining Citizenship Revocations
- Graphic: Changes to Canada’s Citizenship Fees: A Comparative View—Reducing the Burden on Canadian Taxpayers
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Contacts
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.
