OTTAWA: Immigration Minister Sergio Marchi said on Jan30 he plans to change the Immigration Act so Canada Customs officers can seize phony ID being sent through the mail.
Customs officers say they were ordered to stop seizing stolen and forged Canadian passports citizenship cards and other documents and must now deliver them.
The Justice Department made the Order two months ago after deciding customs officers might be violating the Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Solicitor-General Herb Gray said the government would seek an amendment to the law very soon
In the report refugee law expert James Hathaway said immigration officials don’t screen refugee claimants properly at the border and instead send almost all of them ‘on to the Immigration and Refugee Board.
That leaves federal officials at the refugee board with no choice but (6 take a very adversanal and aggressive approach in refugee hearings Hathaway said.
Marchi said he had instinct senior immigration officers at the borders to tighten up the screening process.
Of the 14000 people who entered Canada last year seeking refugee status only 70 were rejected at the border on criminal or security grounds a spokesperson for Marchi said.
But getting into Canada doesn’t mean acceptance as a refugee Only 52% of last year’s claimants were granted the status after their cases were heard.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 4, 1994
