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Canada Citizenship: 2,100 Canadians To Be Stripped Of Citizenship

Canadians Of Convenience To Be Stripped Of Citizenship
CP

OTTAWA — The federal government is moving to strip 2,100 Canadians of their citizenship, The Huffington Post Canada has learned.

The Conservatives also believe that some 4,400 Canadian permanent residents have obtained their citizenship fraudulently and are moving to cancel their citizenship applications as well.

Sources tell HuffPost Canada most of the individuals live overseas.

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney previously announced this June that some 1,800 Canadian applicants would see their citizenship revoked The government wanted to ensure that Canadians of convenience — those who sought citizenship but had no plans to live in Canada or contribute to the economy — would be refused entry.

Kenney is expected to announce that 6,500 applications are being reviewed Friday in Montreal. The Tories have repeatedly said they believe Canadian citizenship is not for sale and those who facilitate access, such as crooked immigration consultants, should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Letters have been sent to many of those Canadians, most of whom live abroad, informing them of the government's plans to strip them of citizenship, QMI Agency reports. Recipients will have 60 days to respond.

The Kenney announcement will be made near where Nizar Zakka, an immigration consultant accused of fraud, was arrested in 2009, Postmedia reports.

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