TORONTO: The Canadian government reported on Monday it was to investigate some 11,000 cases of residency fraud in the country and could revoke the citizenship of over 3,000 people if they discover the citizens obtained their nationalization through illegal means. “We are applying the full strength of Canadian law to those who have obtained citizenship fraudulently,” said Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney. “Canadian citizenship is not for sale. We are taking action to strip citizenship and permanent residence status from people who don't play by the rules and who lie or cheat to become a Canadian citizen.” Kenney first announced the investigation last year. He said on Monday that Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) was working closely with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Canadian offices abroad to tackle the fraud. Kenney said his department has also been working on some 5,000 cases of those who are not yet citizens. The majority of those individuals are believed to be outside the country. Permanent residents must reside in Canada for three years out of four before applying for citizenship. To retain their status as permanent residents, they must be physically present in Canada for two out of five years. So far, the government has removed or denied admission to more than 600 former permanent residents linked to the investigation. Meanwhile, almost 1,800 applicants have abandoned their citizenship applications because of the investigation, the government said.
