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Canadian Border Tightens Due to Info Sharing
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."
Hah!
you should read everything on the internet as if it had "but I'm probably talking out of my ass" appended to it.
So if you were convicted for dodging the Vietnam draft by going to Canada, which the Canadian government allowed, would you be banned from returning now?
I crossed the border on a geocaching trip to Winnipeg and we were stopped and held for an hour by the Canadian border agents. After we waited for them to stop standing around chatting and deal with us (which was 35 minutes of the hour we were there) they began to interview a group of three men that were waiting before us. The conversation with the border patrol agent went something like this:
Agent: "Sir, according to our records obtained from the Minnesota State Patrol, you were stopped for DUI in April 2006. When you were asked if you had any prior incidents and you said, 'no' you lied. You are not to lie to a Border Patrol Agent at any time."
Crosser: "I haven't been convicted yet."
Agent: "I didn't ask if you were convicted."
---
Agent: "Sir, according to our records you were convicted of lewd conduct and indecent exposure in March of 2006. When I asked you if you had any prior convictions and you said, 'no', you lied. You are not to lie to a Border Patrol Agent at any time."
Crosser: "It was reduced to a lesser charge!"
Agent: "I asked if you had any prior incidents."
---
This went on for the next individual as well (I don't remember what he did wrong). After that they were released and permitted to go on to their next destination which was a wedding in Winnipeg. For us, they called us one by one into a back interview room and asked us a bunch of questions about our educational background and work history. I actually felt uncomfortable with some of the questions but answered them anyway.
They checked our passports and birth certificates and while the previous group had convictions and lied and we didn't, we still had our car searched for another 30 minutes before being allowed to move along.
So, even though Bush shouldn't be allowed into the country, these fools were. Bleh.
Finally, people are starting to give us back as good as we are giving them. It's about time. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Hopefully every country will start applying the full standard and stopping US government officials they don't like from entering as well. Then maybe we'll see some change here, and possibly a little humility.
You foreigners have been way too cowardly, refusing standing up for yourselves against my government. Get some fucking backbone.
A friend of mine is a permanent U.S. resident, but is not a U.S. citizen ...
Well, here's some first hand information from someone who is a Canadian who is a U.S. resident.
U.S. Customs officials are federal employees. No suprise there, but I wonder how many U.S. citizens has have had the pleasure of an encounter with one, say a security guard at federal court house? You know, the guy with the $4 buzz cut, gun in his holster, and no personality or sense of humour ready and eager to assert his power. And, quite frankly and typically, zero interest or patience with f'rnrs or their problems.
Crossing into Canada, well, you get a Canadian. The usual stereotype. Relaxed, friendly and good natured, doesn't take himself that seriously and tries to do a good job because he thinks it's the right thing to do. He's a product of a country that has had liberal immigration laws for decades, so he his outlook isn't tied into any sense of nationalism or a fear or dislike of immigrants.
The above two descriptions are valid irrespective of whether you're American or Canadian, or in which direction you're headed. Put another way, going into Canada is typically a breeze and comes with a "Have a nice visit", while crossing into the U.S. is an ugly experience, assuming, of course, you don't get turned away which happens on such a regular basis it's almost to be expected. And if you're a legal U.S. resident thinking you'll have no problems, you shouldn't be too outraged if the official decides to detain you or just decides to confiscate your residency card for an arbitrary reason before sending you back. It happened to me. Twice. I could recite the horror stories of friends, relatives and acquaintances from any number of nationalities (American included), so if I sound overly critical, know that I consider my own experiences fairly minor by comparison.
Canadians may be going through growing pains, and/or be influenced or pressured by their neighbour to the south, so border issues may be of greater concern, but I have few worries in that regard. It's the American side that distinguishes itself with nationalistic values, a concern about immigrants, worries of terrorists and terrorism, and a population where the average citizen is unlikely to have travelled outside of his state, let alone outside his country. Legitimate concerns there, perhaps, but that doesn't make the crossing any less miserable.