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Make immigrants take oath of loyalty
report: If newcomers breach Canada's values, they should be deported, ex-diplomat declares
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Font: * * * * Stewart Bell, The National Post
Published: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
TORONTO - The federal government should require new immigrants to take an oath of loyalty to Canada and its values -- and deport them if they breach it, a former diplomat says in a study of counter-terrorism policies released yesterday.
The Fraser Institute report, authored by former senior Foreign Affairs official Martin Collacott, also says the government must give special attention to working with the Muslim community since radical Islamic terrorists are currently the greatest danger to Canada's security.
While Canadians are committed to welcoming diverse immigrants from around the world, newcomers must understand that they are expected to accept core Canadian values, the report says.
"If they find such acceptance difficult, they should not come here in the first place," Mr. Collacott writes in Canada's Inadequate Response to Terrorism: The Need for Policy Reform.
The paper proposes that those who apply to immigrate to Canada should be told "what is expected of them and that, if they fail to live up to our expectations, they will be removed from Canada."
In addition, before becoming citizens, immigrants should be required to take an oath "swearing that they are not only fully committed to Canadian values and will give their complete allegiance and loyalty to Canada, but that their actions in the future will reflect these commitments."
Those who behave in a manner that seriously conflicts with Canada's principles -- for example by supporting or engaging in terrorism -- should lose their citizenship, he argues.
But University of Toronto associate professor of law Audrey Macklin, an immigration and refugee law specialist, has doubts about the proposal, which she called "odd."
"To be judged according to your compliance with Canadian values and to strip somebody of citizenship on that basis is a kind of ironic move," she said.
"You are really in a sense acting outside law allegedly because people don't honour Canadian values. Well I think the rule of law is a Canadian value, so I think it would be a very odd thing to do."
The recommendation to the new Conservative government comes as Europe and North America are struggling over how to deal with anti-western, pro-terrorist extremist elements within their Muslim communities.
The government's failure to ensure immigrants are fully committed to living according to Canada's liberal democratic values explains why some put overseas causes ahead of Canadian interests, the paper says.
"Greater emphasis has been given in recent years to the rights of newcomers than to their obligations to Canada," Mr. Collacott writes.
"This has in all likelihood been a contributing factor in encouraging them to treat this country as a convenient and generous base from which to engage in or mount support for their favourite conflicts abroad."
Following last July's suicide bombings in London by British-born Muslims, the British government introduced measures to crack down on the incitement and glorification of terrorism.
Germany is also attempting to screen new immigrants for extremist views, while in Australia last week, Prime Minister John Howard said he was concerned that some parts of the Muslim community were "utterly antagonistic" to Australian society.
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=455b97a8-6e5b-4720-bde4-2b5113fa4bc3
report: If newcomers breach Canada's values, they should be deported, ex-diplomat declares
Article Tools
Printer friendly
Font: * * * * Stewart Bell, The National Post
Published: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
TORONTO - The federal government should require new immigrants to take an oath of loyalty to Canada and its values -- and deport them if they breach it, a former diplomat says in a study of counter-terrorism policies released yesterday.
The Fraser Institute report, authored by former senior Foreign Affairs official Martin Collacott, also says the government must give special attention to working with the Muslim community since radical Islamic terrorists are currently the greatest danger to Canada's security.
While Canadians are committed to welcoming diverse immigrants from around the world, newcomers must understand that they are expected to accept core Canadian values, the report says.
"If they find such acceptance difficult, they should not come here in the first place," Mr. Collacott writes in Canada's Inadequate Response to Terrorism: The Need for Policy Reform.
The paper proposes that those who apply to immigrate to Canada should be told "what is expected of them and that, if they fail to live up to our expectations, they will be removed from Canada."
In addition, before becoming citizens, immigrants should be required to take an oath "swearing that they are not only fully committed to Canadian values and will give their complete allegiance and loyalty to Canada, but that their actions in the future will reflect these commitments."
Those who behave in a manner that seriously conflicts with Canada's principles -- for example by supporting or engaging in terrorism -- should lose their citizenship, he argues.
But University of Toronto associate professor of law Audrey Macklin, an immigration and refugee law specialist, has doubts about the proposal, which she called "odd."
"To be judged according to your compliance with Canadian values and to strip somebody of citizenship on that basis is a kind of ironic move," she said.
"You are really in a sense acting outside law allegedly because people don't honour Canadian values. Well I think the rule of law is a Canadian value, so I think it would be a very odd thing to do."
The recommendation to the new Conservative government comes as Europe and North America are struggling over how to deal with anti-western, pro-terrorist extremist elements within their Muslim communities.
The government's failure to ensure immigrants are fully committed to living according to Canada's liberal democratic values explains why some put overseas causes ahead of Canadian interests, the paper says.
"Greater emphasis has been given in recent years to the rights of newcomers than to their obligations to Canada," Mr. Collacott writes.
"This has in all likelihood been a contributing factor in encouraging them to treat this country as a convenient and generous base from which to engage in or mount support for their favourite conflicts abroad."
Following last July's suicide bombings in London by British-born Muslims, the British government introduced measures to crack down on the incitement and glorification of terrorism.
Germany is also attempting to screen new immigrants for extremist views, while in Australia last week, Prime Minister John Howard said he was concerned that some parts of the Muslim community were "utterly antagonistic" to Australian society.
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=455b97a8-6e5b-4720-bde4-2b5113fa4bc3
