Bill C-31, introduced Thursday by Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, toughens the measures taken in the Balanced Refugee Reform Act, a compromise bill passed under a Conservative minority government. That earlier bill has yet to be implemented. It was due to be up and running by June 29.
Kenney says he wants the new bill passed by that date and implemented sometime next fall.
The bill will implement long-planned biometric identification — including fingerprints and photos — for people who apply for visas to visit Canada, and allow the minister to select which countries are “safe,” known as a designated country of origin.
Speaking to Evan Solomon, host of CBC’s Power & Politics, Kenney said the information would eventually be purged but didn’t know after how long. He said his department is working with Canada’s privacy commissioner to develop the system.
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