07) C-24 FIGHT NOT OVER YET

People's Voice Editorial

            Last February, when the Harper government introduced Bill C‑24, a wide range of democratically-minded people and organizations warned that this legislation extends shocking new powers to the federal Cabinet to strip Canadians of their citizenship rights. The recent passage of this bill opens the door for politicians to turn the clock back to shameful periods when Canadian governments used racist and reactionary immigration and refugee policies to bar certain categories of people from entering the country, or to deport radical "trouble-makers".

            Bill C-24 targets those who are citizens of both Canada and another country. Many thousands of people born here may be dual citizens without even understanding their status, since some countries automatically treat the children or grandchildren of their nationals as citizens, regardless of birthplace. As we noted in February, former child soldier and Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr has been the target of a hateful slander campaign by the Harper government. Now serving an eight-year sentence in Canada after being framed up in a U.S. military court, Khadr was born in Toronto, but his late father was born in Egypt. He could well be among the first victims of Bill C-24.

            But probably not the last. This government still harasses immigrants who are former members of El Salvador's FMLN liberation movement (now the government of that country), and often makes it difficult for diplomats from South Africa's ruling ANC to enter Canada. These examples prove that Tory immigration policies are wide open for abuse by cabinet ministers with a far-right agenda.

            Just as significant, Bill C‑24 makes it much more difficult, expensive and time‑consuming for immigrants to become citizens. Such barriers have a particular impact on refugees who have suffered persecution and long years of deprivation.

            Fortunately, protests continue against this appalling legislation, and civil rights groups are already preparing a legal challenge. The battle to stop C‑24 is far from finished!

(The above  article is from the July 1-31, 2014, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading socialist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3J1.)