Trudeau’s Policies on Citizenship May Very Well Jeopardize Canadian National Security

Canadian liberals are working to repeal portions of  Bill C-24, the Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act. New legislation proposed by the Trudeau government has been met with equal controversy as it would restore citizenship to Zakaria Amara and the other members of the Toronto 18.

The Toronto 18 were an al-Qaeda inspired jihadist group based in Ontario, Canada. In 2006, the group planned to carry out multiple terrorist attacks including:  detonate three large truck bombs, use gun down civilians, and behead then Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Legislation last year allowed the federal government to utilize C-24 in stripping citizenship of Canadians of dual nationalities if they were found guilty of terrorism, spying, or treason. Immigration Minister John McCallum stated, “If one crime made you eligible for revocation this year, what crimes would be added next year?”

Prior to the addition of C-24 to the citizenship act the only way Canadian citizenship could be revoked and/or denied citizenship was by using false information on a citizenship application.

In the debate last year on foreign policy between then Prime Minister Stephen Harper and challenger Justin Trudeau, Harper defended the stripping of citizenship of those accused of threats against the homeland. Trudeau countered saying it would make two classes of citizens.

Trudeau’s campaign last year promised to revoke major portions of C-24 under the slogan, “a Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian.”

The Trudeau government also asked that all cases involving the potential stripping of citizenship over terror charges be delayed. This decision could impact the current case of radiology technician Misbahuddin Ahmed, whose attempted terrorist attack was foiled by the Project Samosa investigation. Ahmed is currently serving a twelve-year sentence, if law than he could be deported to Pakistan upon his release.

Conservative Michelle Rempel said, “This bill is a win for Zakaria Amera and not many other Canadians” she further insisted that the Trudeau government never gave much judgement to the safety of Canadians.

When former minister of national defense Jason Kenney was asked about Amara being stripped of his citizenship in 2015 he noted, “If you take up arms against your country or plan to do so, and you are convicted in a Canadian court or foreign court, through your violent disloyalty your citizenship is revoked.”

This new legislation is another example of the Trudeau government’s attempt to reverse and eliminate many of the efforts undertaken by the Harper Government on both foreign and domestic terrorism policy. He has pulled fighter aircraft  out of the air campaigns in Syria to counter the Islamic State (IS), which shocked their allies, including the United States. The disastrous way of taking on too many Syrian refugees at one time.

The Trudeau’s campaign promises reached out too much of Canada’s immigrant and liberal group who had vociferously opposed the Harper reforms. Trudeau is seeking an early completion of these campaign promises before time in office and exposure to the true extent of the terrorism threat facing Canada becomes apparent.

It seems likely that Trudeau’s government will get the repeal they want. But having so closely staked his government to this position, a major terrorist attack within Canada committed by returning jihadists who would otherwise have lost their citizenship could seriously derail the Trudeau government’s agenda.