Citizenship and Immigration committee  To me, the part about not granting them entry is pretty cut and dried: when they've been accused of something that could have a 10-year sentence in Canada. Removing them is perhaps a little more complicated because they're already here. In general, if someone has been charged with a crime abroad for which they could be sentenced to 10 years in Canada, to me that's pretty serious and is grounds for having them removed.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  One of the means used particularly by refugee claimants to extend their stay here is to stay as long as they can with as many appeals as possible. They’re likely to have stronger grounds for a humanitarian and compassionate case the longer they stay here. They may marry a Canadian or very often their children are growing up in Canada and they try to use it as a justification for not being sent back.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Are you talking about people who are refused entry, or are you talking about people who could be deported?

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Rather than those who are refused entry. I wasn't clear on which aspect. They've been charged with a sentence of—

Citizenship and Immigration committee  It would have to be a charge that would, I believe, get 10 years in Canada. Although it's a charge overseas, it would have to be something quite serious in Canada for them to be subject to that. Am I correct in that, or the law?

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Yes, it would have to be a pretty serious action. If someone is sentenced to 10 years in some country for something they wouldn't be charged with in Canada, then that issue wouldn't arise. If someone committed a crime in another country for which they would get a 10-year sentence in Canada, that is pretty serious stuff.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you, Chair. I'm going to comment on two aspects of the bill that have attracted a lot of attention. One is the provision that gives the minister the authority to use negative discretion on who may enter the country, and the other is the accelerated removal of individuals convicted of serious crimes.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I think the biometric checks, both when people come in and leave, are very important. It certainly doesn't stand by itself. That doesn't automatically give you a security check. If someone comes in, it may come up on the computer that he is a security threat, that he is entering illegally, or that we've deported him.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Yes. The U.S. has been working on this for some time. There are technical problems, and there are funding problems, so they haven't got their entry and exit systems fully in operation yet. As far as I know, they are very valuable tools. They are catching people who shouldn't be trying to come in.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  In some cases, people deliberately use several names, especially criminals, or security, or spies. That's another kind of problem. The first one you mentioned was really whether to decide which transliteration you use in English, where several might be in use. China now, by the way, has a fairly standard and widely used transcription in English called Pinyin, which simplifies things there.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Well, certainly the Auditor General identified quite a swath of them in terms of what we're not able to do thoroughly enough with regard to coordination among the four key agencies. I could list about ten of them, and I think they all sound pretty valid. Again, they are some of the ones I raised, for instance, not having enough time at visa posts to really check people out.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  When you talk about the system that exists now, are you referring to the NEXUS cards, Mr. Weston, or are you talking about the biometric screening that's planned for implementation in the next year?

Citizenship and Immigration committee  The biometric the government is trying to use involves having people give biometric fingerprints and digital facial images overseas, so we can confirm when they arrive at the port of entry that they're the same person we gave the visa to. What I was recommending, though, is that we use some system for all non-Canadians coming into the country, so we know who's here, whether they're visitors or permanent residents.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  You mean the aging population? Right. That's one—