TORONTO — The federal government will introduce new legislation to speed up the process of removing foreign nationals who have committed serious crimes in Canada.
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Steven Blaney made the announcement in Toronto, saying the Removal of Serious Foreign Criminals Act will be introduced next month.
Blaney says the bill would allow the mandatory transfer of foreign criminals back to their original countries and render foreigners who have committed crimes ineligible for pardons.
He says Canada would also be able to transfer convicted criminals without their consent to serve out their sentences in their home countries.
Refugees who are deemed a danger to the Canadian public would have their protected person status revoked when they are removed from the country.
The bill builds on similar measures —introduced in recent years — that are part of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's tough-on-crime agenda.