New law revoking citizenship of extremists comes into force in Canada

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Sunday 31 May 2015 - 15:37 Makkah mean time-13-8-1436 (Google image) Ottawa (IINA) – A law enabling Canadian authorities to revoke citizenship of those who go overseas for jihad came into force on Friday, news agencies reported. A revised version of Canadian immigration law lets the government strip citizenship from those convicted of terrorism, treason, spying or taking up arms against Canadian soldiers, according to AFP. The new law targets Canadian citizens who opt to join the Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria and Iraq. However, the law affects only those with dual citizenship. Canadian lawmakers are concerned with the tendency of more and more Canadians joining IS, and that later they could return with highly radicalized views and battlefield experience. So far in 2015, no less than a dozen young Canadians – in their teens or twenties – have attempted to head to the Middle East. Over 100 Canadian citizens have already joined the Islamic State group, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police reported. AB/IINA