Canada pledges more visas for Gazans, says it's 'horrified' by Israeli attack in Rafah.
OTTAWA, May 27 (Reuters)
Canada said on Monday it will issue visas to 5,000 Gazans, more than it originally pledged, and said it was "horrified" by an Israeli airstrike in Rafah that triggered a blaze causing 45 deaths. May 27, 2024
Terror arrests show risk of taking in large numbers of poorly vetted Gazans
With Canada besieged by soaring antisemitism and Islamist radicalization, the Trudeau government’s decision to offer temporary residence to 5,000 Palestinians is concerning
Author of the article:
Joe Adam George, Special to National Post
Published Aug 13, 2024 • Last updated 3 days ago • 3 minute read
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Representatives from the National Council of Canadian Muslims deliver remarks in response to the federal government's temporary visa measures for people living in Gaza with Canadian relatives, at a press conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Dec. 21, 2023. Photo by Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press
In a sensational domestic terrorism case, late last month, the RCMP arrested an ISIS-inspired father-son duo who were allegedly plotting to carry out a mass casualty attack in Toronto. It was later revealed that Canadian authorities had inexplicably permitted the father to immigrate to Canada and granted him citizenship, despite allegedly appearing in an ISIS propaganda video in which he is seen dismembering a prisoner.
While this grave lapse in our immigration system has understandably raised serious questions about Ottawa’s security screening process, it should come as no surprise that Canada has traditionally been a “safe haven” for terrorists and criminals who exploit the shortcomings of our country’s liberal immigration policies and go on to become citizens.
Immigration officials have generally struggled to locate and deport individuals accused of serious criminal offences, let alone adequately vet them before they arrive in the country.
In 1994, Ahmed Ressam, an Algerian-born al-Qaida terrorist, entered Canada under false pretext and claimed refugee status. He went on to commit numerous crimes, draw welfare benefits and easily evade deportation by creating a false identity as a Canadian citizen with a Canadian passport. Ressam was later arrested by U.S. authorities in 1999, on his way to bomb the Los Angeles International Airport.
Last year, a government audit found that Ottawa allowed nearly half of more than 7,000 foreign nationals who were flagged for serious security concerns to take up residency in this country between 2014 and 2019. |
