Lies and citizenship

[allhatnocattle]

Canada strips two men of their citizenship. I didn't know we did this. Since 1977, Canada has stripped 54 people of citizenship. Seven of those cases related to the Second World War.

I'm interested if anyone knows how the cases of Oberlander and Fast came to the attention of the authorities. This article indicates that at least Oberlander has been

Comments

[allhatnocattle]

Statute of limitations. But we have courts with a whole range of discretion. Had this gone through the courts, the judge would have considered that a 90yr old with Alztimers isn't much of a threat to anyone. A judge would have considered 60yr.s of living in Canada is an important factor because possession is 9/10's of the law. Because it went through two cabinet ministers politics were most certainly played. Partially to show lying on citizenship papers is a serious crime that can't be tolerated. But partially to appease the Jewish lobby on this witchhunt, because making large lobbies happy is just something that MP's do.

I'm not making excuses or defending these ex-Nazi's, but as kali_kali points out we don't know the defense side of the argument. At least I can't seem to google it. Guilt by simple association is unfair. It's something I brought up regarding the Hells Angels MC.

Lies to enter Canada is pretty commonplace. Cross border shoppers do it all the time. I don't know for sure but I think little lies on citizenship papers is just as common. I don't know why it takes 60yr.s to trip these two old men up on it because records may be incomplete or lost by now (another reason it didn't go through the courts maybe?).

[allhatnocattle]

But 60yr.s ago Canada was a much different place. So many people have come out of the closet since then. I'm not sure Immigration would have accepted a mixed-race couple, anyone openly GLBT, or refugees from Africa (especially if it was from a fellow Commonwealth nation). I mean can we really apply the same standard today as we did then?

A German (Japanese, Italian and Russian even) immigrant applying for citizenship would have been immediately suspect for being a collaborator of the enemy in the decade after WWII. Today we wouldn't give such nationalities a second look... at least not suspecting their loyalties. But we might with someone from Afghanistan.

Coming here from Germany 60yr.s ago lying was indeed more necessary. Not that I'm excusing falsifying documents, but a great many immigrants arrived here after WWII when our population was only half what it is now.

Citizenship is a matter of integrity. The decades spent in this country prove integrity while the manner in which they got here disproves it. What should carry more weight?