Immigration minister welcomes decision to deport Mugesera
Saying that the Rwandan people deserve justice, federal Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has welcomed a Federal Court decision that could pave the way for the deportation of Léon Mugesera.
“He is guilty of serious war crimes and he has to face justice in his country of origin,” Kenney said in Montreal on Wednesday.
“This guy has gone all they way to the Supreme Court of Canada; at some stage we have to actually remove war criminals and stop talking about doing it.”
Federal Court Justice Michel M. J. Shore refused to quash a removal order against Mugesera, who was scheduled to be deported on Thursday afternoon. However, a few hours after hearing the verdict, Mugesera was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Quebec City.
The fact that Mugesera has been able to remain in Canada for 17 years after deportation proceedings first began shows that the government needs to “review how we can deport foreign criminals more quickly,” Kenney said.
Rwanda has “established a fair court system in their new, stable, democracy,” Kenney said.
“We do not send people back if our legal system determines they are likely to face cruel or unusual punishment,” he said. “Our system has determined that he does not face such risk and it is time for him to go.”
The court decision in the Mugesera case was made public at the same time Kenney was holding a press conference in Montreal. He was here to announce that the Canada Border Services Agency is expanding its “most wanted” list of people it wants to deport from Canada. Last July, the CBSA published a “most wanted” list of criminals and asked the public to call a hotline number to report on the whereabouts of those on the list. The list contained the names of 30 men suspected of war crimes or crimes against humanity. Since it was set up, 225 people have called in tips, allowing the CBSA to locate 15 people on the list. Of that number, seven people have been deported from Canada and another four have been located abroad.
The CBSA announced Wednesday that it has added another 30 names to the list, and expanded the categories to include those who are inadmissible to Canada on security grounds or for being involved in organized criminality here or abroad.
When the “most wanted list was first published last summer,” some opponents said they believed that the “outing” of war criminals undermines the presumption of innocence here, and wherever the suspect is deported to.
Kenney dismissed suggestions that putting names and pictures of criminals on its website could create problems for the men back home.
“We are not going to respond to every foreign criminal who constantly invent stories of risk,” he said.
Benoît Chiquette, the CBSA regional director for Quebec, said everyone on the list is inadmissible under immigration law and subject to a removal order.
At present, there are 42 names on the list. Some of the men have committed crimes in Canada and others have committed crimes in their native countries and are not entitled to live here.
“Canada’s borders are not open to those who break the law or endanger the safety of our citizens,” Kenney said.
He said the Conservative government is “coming forward with a legislative package this year to streamline the appeals process for foreign criminals.”
“He is guilty of serious war crimes and he has to face justice in his country of origin,” Kenney said in Montreal on Wednesday.
“This guy has gone all they way to the Supreme Court of Canada; at some stage we have to actually remove war criminals and stop talking about doing it.”
Federal Court Justice Michel M. J. Shore refused to quash a removal order against Mugesera, who was scheduled to be deported on Thursday afternoon. However, a few hours after hearing the verdict, Mugesera was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Quebec City.
The fact that Mugesera has been able to remain in Canada for 17 years after deportation proceedings first began shows that the government needs to “review how we can deport foreign criminals more quickly,” Kenney said.
Rwanda has “established a fair court system in their new, stable, democracy,” Kenney said.
“We do not send people back if our legal system determines they are likely to face cruel or unusual punishment,” he said. “Our system has determined that he does not face such risk and it is time for him to go.”
The court decision in the Mugesera case was made public at the same time Kenney was holding a press conference in Montreal. He was here to announce that the Canada Border Services Agency is expanding its “most wanted” list of people it wants to deport from Canada. Last July, the CBSA published a “most wanted” list of criminals and asked the public to call a hotline number to report on the whereabouts of those on the list. The list contained the names of 30 men suspected of war crimes or crimes against humanity. Since it was set up, 225 people have called in tips, allowing the CBSA to locate 15 people on the list. Of that number, seven people have been deported from Canada and another four have been located abroad.
The CBSA announced Wednesday that it has added another 30 names to the list, and expanded the categories to include those who are inadmissible to Canada on security grounds or for being involved in organized criminality here or abroad.
When the “most wanted list was first published last summer,” some opponents said they believed that the “outing” of war criminals undermines the presumption of innocence here, and wherever the suspect is deported to.
Kenney dismissed suggestions that putting names and pictures of criminals on its website could create problems for the men back home.
“We are not going to respond to every foreign criminal who constantly invent stories of risk,” he said.
Benoît Chiquette, the CBSA regional director for Quebec, said everyone on the list is inadmissible under immigration law and subject to a removal order.
At present, there are 42 names on the list. Some of the men have committed crimes in Canada and others have committed crimes in their native countries and are not entitled to live here.
“Canada’s borders are not open to those who break the law or endanger the safety of our citizens,” Kenney said.
He said the Conservative government is “coming forward with a legislative package this year to streamline the appeals process for foreign criminals.”
