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."

Comments

Re:Exactly. This isn't really about data mining.

[Fozzyuw]

I guarantee you that all over the world people are laughing their asses off about this. And, frankly, I can see their point.

Me too! Who wants to go to Canada? I kid, I kid.

In all seriousness though, what does this prove? Nothing but keeping tourist $ out of Canada from likely legitimate people. Of course, there's an old saying that goes: "Two wrongs, don't make a right."

Canadians are enraged about "extraordinary rendition" of Canadians ... and they're sick of being treated like children by the Bush administration.

Canadians sound selfish. They act like they're the only ones this has happened too. It's not like the current "fight terrorism" policies are aimed at Canada specifically. The policies are targeting people, not countries.

Cheers,
Fozzy