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New legislation introduced today by Immigration Minister Jason Kenney will crack down on foreign criminals who delay deportation to their home countries by utilizing Canada’s lengthy appeals system, and make it easier for the government to deport them.

The new laws will limit the access foreign criminals will have to the Immigration and Refugee Board’s Appeal division, thereby reducing the time they can remain in Canada by up to 14 months.

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This change, Mr. Kenney said, reduces the likelihood the criminals will re-offend on Canadian soil.

“If a foreign citizen is sentenced to six months or greater, they’re subject to removal,” said Mr. Kenney at a news conference.

“But under the current system, they still have access to the immigration appeal division as long as their sentence is less than two years, and many courts have sentenced foreign criminals to two years less a day explicitly in order for allow them to have access to these multiple appeals and effectively to delay their deportation from Canada.”