2006-07-20

Canadians being evacuated

There is some noise about whether the 40,000 or so Canadians being evacuated from Lebanon should actually be considered Canadian - some say these "citizens of convenience" (who maintain their dual citizenship but haven't resided in or paid taxes to Canada in many, many years) do not deserve to be assisted out of their real (by all practical accounts) country.
Hogwash I say. If they are Canadian citizens and hold valid passports, it is our duty to extend whatever resources we can obtain to help them, just as any other citizen. However, one of the lessons we should learn from this situation is that perhaps our citizenship rules need to be revisited in light of the anticipated rise in world conflicts?
Questions we (via our officials) should discuss should include:
Do we want to continue allowing dual citizenship?
If so, with all or some countries?
If only some, which? How often should the list of acceptable countries for dual citizenship be updated? What do we do if we scratch a country off the list - give current passport holders in those cut-off countries 3 months notice then cancel those whose bearers choose not to return?
Do we want to have two classes of people - those who are citizens AND permanent residents of Canada, and a lesser class of citizens who are NOT permament residents of Canada that our embassies would not provide the same level of assistance to? If so, are our leaders prepared to make that discrimination in times of crisis? Finally, are our embassies equipped to handle that distinction in times of crisis?
For the time being, those who were attracted by the priviledges of a Canadian passport, and played by the rules to get one, must be entitled to every measure of protection we would extend to any other Canadian citizen. Personally, I would like to see Canada shoulder it's part of international responsibility by assisting all displaced people in Lebanon, regardless of citizenship. After all, we (the rest of the world) failed to
effetively deal with the causes of these tensions before the situation ever escalated.
That so many Canadians are contented by yet another photo-op for the PM flying to the rescue in his shining Canadian Forces armour is just sick.

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