Article content continued

Those practicing polygamy would no longer be allowed to immigrate to Canada with one of their spouses. Immigrants found to be polygamists would be found inadmissible and removed from Canada.

The government also said that to prevent so-called “honour killings,” it will amend the Criminal Code so that the defence of provocation no longer applies in such cases.

“We intend on sending a strong message to those in Canada and those who wish to come to Canada that we will not tolerate cultural traditions in Canada that deprive individuals of their human rights,” the minister said at an event in Toronto on Wednesday morning.

“With this bill, we would be standing up for immigrant women who have come to Canada for a better life,” he said, adding it would also “show quite clearly that our Canadian values do no extend to barbaric acts.”

According to officials, the Department of Foreign Affairs has received approximately 100 requests for consular assistance in forced marriage cases since 2009.

In Ontario, agencies reported 219 cases of forced marriage between 2010 and 2012, according to a report. The victims were overwhelmingly female and more than a third were between 12 and 18.

In addition, there have been about two dozen criminal cases in Canada involving honour-based violence since 1995, officials said. Twenty-one of the crimes occurred within the past decade.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or

As for polygamy, officials said the Canadian Society of Muslims had reportedly estimated that several hundred husbands in the Toronto area are practicing polygamists.