Canadian Border Tightens Due to Info Sharing

Posted by Zonk on Friday February 23, 2007 @01:37AM from the helpful-tech-making-life-more-annoying dept.

blu3 b0y writes "The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that new information sharing agreements have made it as easy for a Canadian border officer to know the full criminal records of US citizens as it is for their local police. As a result, Canadian officials are turning away American visitors for ancient minor convictions, including 30-year-old shoplifting and minor drug possession convictions. Officials claim it's always been illegal to enter Canada with such convictions without getting special dispensation, they just had no good way of knowing about them until recent security agreements allowed access. One attorney speculates it's not long before this information will be shared with other countries as well, causing immigration hassles worldwide."

3 of 448 comments (clear)

Look at the bright side by Anonymous Coward · 2007-02-23 01:57 · Score: 5, Funny

So that means that Bush won't be traveling to Canada any time soon, due to his DUI conviction?
1. Re:Look at the bright side by MarkRose · 2007-02-23 02:08 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  British Columbia's Premier, Gordon Campbell, got a DUI while in Hawaii. Bush would fit right in.
  
  --
  Be relentless!
Well now... by carvalhao · 2007-02-23 02:10 · Score: 5, Funny

... as someone who was recently refused a visitors' visa to the USA because I've worked 1 month in Saudi Arabia as a CRM consultant, I can't help a grin followed by an "oh bummer!"

I guess that the "keep our country to the locals" isn't so nice when you're on the other side of the border, isn't it?

Please mod me flamebait, but I really couldn't help it :D