I am a Canadian citizen now but I was stopped by immigration at the airport because I previously had a refugee status

[champion92_pls]

I went to Mexico for a vacation and when I returned yesterday to Canada, I got the "X" on my declaration paper from the automated machine to go to immigration.

When I got to the immigration office, the officer started to ask me questions like where were you, how many days, etc

I asked the officer why I am going through this even though I am a Canadian citizen now. He said because my file is associated with a refugee status previously and that I have to contact Immigration.

Has anyone gone through this? I was a refugee before but I thought it doesn't matter once you are a Canadian citizen.

I am now disappointed!

 

[Refugeee]

I went to Mexico for a vacation and when I returned yesterday to Canada, I got the "X" on my declaration paper from the automated machine to go to immigration.

When I got to the immigration office, the officer started to ask me questions like where were you, how many days, etc

I asked the officer why I am going through this even though I am a Canadian citizen now. He said because my file is associated with a refugee status previously and that I have to contact Immigration.

Has anyone gone through this? I was a refugee before but I thought it doesn't matter once you are a Canadian citizen.

I am now disappointed!

That's actually straight up discrimination...
Ex refugees seem to remain refugees in the eyes of the governemnt and Public.
Basically 3rd class (not even 2nd class) citizen!

Wow.. Just Wow!!!

 

[Mounat]

Has anyone gone through this? I was a refugee before but I thought it doesn't matter once you are a Canadian citizen.

CBSA can ask any question to anyone, Canadian citizen or not. They can ask about where, when, how and even why you were overseas and how the trip was financed. What they cannot do is deny a Canadian citizen entry to Canada. Everything else is game, up to and including extensive customs and immigration inspection.

That comment about file being associated to former refugee status is odd and makes no sense. Maybe you should call IRCC and ask WTF.

 

[walter_white]

I went to Mexico for a vacation and when I returned yesterday to Canada, I got the "X" on my declaration paper from the automated machine to go to immigration.

When I got to the immigration office, the officer started to ask me questions like where were you, how many days, etc

I asked the officer why I am going through this even though I am a Canadian citizen now. He said because my file is associated with a refugee status previously and that I have to contact Immigration.

Has anyone gone through this? I was a refugee before but I thought it doesn't matter once you are a Canadian citizen.

I am now disappointed!

I remember seeing an earlier thread about this, I think you should contact your local MP and get your file updated to avoid these checks every time you enter the country.

 

[rainydayincanada]

Like others have said, CBSA can ask any questions. I was asked several questions for a few years, presumably because they bounced me once at the border.

There are many reasons they may be asking this. Mind you, false refugees claims are not unheard of - and will strip people's citizenship -. they may be doing routine due diligence or something unusual triggered this check. I wouldn't take it personally and worry about it unless you feel treated unfairly and that is something only you can judge.

 

[Ghess23]

I went to Mexico for a vacation and when I returned yesterday to Canada, I got the "X" on my declaration paper from the automated machine to go to immigration.

When I got to the immigration office, the officer started to ask me questions like where were you, how many days, etc

I asked the officer why I am going through this even though I am a Canadian citizen now. He said because my file is associated with a refugee status previously and that I have to contact Immigration.

Has anyone gone through this? I was a refugee before but I thought it doesn't matter once you are a Canadian citizen.

I am now disappointed!

I saw something similar happen to someone if the refugee forum. I think you have to call to remove the refugee flag at immigration, usually it is removed when you become citizen but i believe there are cracks in the system that results in it not being removed so just call them and see what’s going as this shouldnt be the norm

 

[Ghess23]

Like others have said, CBSA can ask any questions. I was asked several questions for a few years, presumably because they bounced me once at the border.

There are many reasons they may be asking this. Mind you, false refugees claims are not unheard of - and will strip people's citizenship -. they may be doing routine due diligence or something unusual triggered this check. I wouldn't take it personally and worry about it unless you feel treated unfairly and that is something only you can judge.

Yes she/he should, i understand if an officer has more questions and stops you to talk but it’s different when the machine says you need to go see immigration, that means if not resolved, it will happened everytime and it shouldnt

 

[champion92_pls]

Thanks guys. Yes, it's totally fine to be questioned. But it was twice for me. First time is when you go to these window booths before the exit, I got questioned. Then, I was instructed to be headed where the refugee claimants were waiting online. Met with another officer and I got questioned again. This experience really triggered my past when I was treated a 3rd class person!

I contacted my MP. I hope they can help with that.

 

[steaky]

Thanks guys. Yes, it's totally fine to be questioned. But it was twice for me. First time is when you go to these window booths before the exit, I got questioned. Then, I was instructed to be headed where the refugee claimants were waiting online. Met with another officer and I got questioned again. This experience really triggered my past when I was treated a 3rd class person!

I contacted my MP. I hope they can help with that.

I'm Canadian citizen but not ex-refugee. I was questioned even waiting for my bags to be arrived at the carousel. The dogs sniffed my bags. It's probably random or routine.

 

[adbcca]

Check out this thread
https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/the-request-the-removal-of-the-flag-on-the-names-after-became-citizenship.765369/

 

[champion92_pls]

Check out this thread
https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/the-request-the-removal-of-the-flag-on-the-names-after-became-citizenship.765369/

Ah!! same situation!!! thank you @adbcca

 

[adbcca]

Ah!! same situation!!! thank you @adbcca

Due to a technical problem, it appears that numerous former refugees are receiving the same flag, which must be manually removed. Keep us updated!

Thanks!

 

[armoured]

Thanks guys. Yes, it's totally fine to be questioned. But it was twice for me. First time is when you go to these window booths before the exit, I got questioned. Then, I was instructed to be headed where the refugee claimants were waiting online. Met with another officer and I got questioned again. This experience really triggered my past when I was treated a 3rd class person!

I contacted my MP. I hope they can help with that.

You did the right thing.

I have a separate thread somewhere, my spouse (PR) kept getting sent to secondary because she had a flag about non-compliance with residency obligation - but this was from more than 10 years ago when she was a PR (in between she left Canada, renounced, and then became a PR anew).

Short form, yes, these flags can be persistent and IRCC doesn't automatically remove. CBSA officers either cannot remove the flags or have no interest/incentive to do so.

We contacted our MP, explained, and it was removed. She travels often and in the half-dozen trips since then, not been sent to secondary once.

CBSA/IRCC of course repeated that anyone can be inspected at any time for any reason blah blah blah standard text. But not once since our MP sorted it.

 

[bellaluna]

Yes she/he should, i understand if an officer has more questions and stops you to talk but it’s different when the machine says you need to go see immigration, that means if not resolved, it will happened everytime and it shouldnt

I agree with you, but don’t underestimate a large organization’s capacity for incompetence. There seems to be a pattern of flags staying on a person’s file when they should have reasonably been cleared. They’re only resolved when someone proactively brings it to attention.

Have had this happen several times to a relative who’d always get sent to secondary, presumably because of delayed medical surveillance. When they asked CBSA why they were flagged, CBSA was just like “lol dunno, it just says there’s a flag in the system”.

The flag stayed on record even if the surveillance was completed and was only cleared a few years later after they renewed their PR card.

 

[armoured]

I agree with you, but don’t underestimate a large organization’s capacity for incompetence. There seems to be a pattern of flags staying on a person’s file when they should have reasonably been cleared. They’re only resolved when someone proactively brings it to attention.

...
When they asked CBSA why they were flagged, CBSA was just like “lol dunno, it just says there’s a flag in the system”.

Exactly on both counts. We were able to get out of the officers why there was a flag, but nothing more.

The other thing about these types of flags: for the most part, doesn't help at all at primary to explain why you have it, and at secondary, they tend to get suspicious if you are too quick to explain what the flag is about ...

And even if the CBSA officers recognize it's a waste of time and resources for them, they basically can't/won't do it themselves.