Your Interview

What did Suaad Haji Mohamud do wrong ?

What should she have done differently ?

Gar Pardy: Ms Mohamud did nothing wrong. She was the victim of decisions by Kenyan and Canadian officials that should have been reviewed by others before her passport was withdrawn and a request made to the Kenyans for charges to be laid.

From my knowledge of the matter it is hard to see what else Ms. Mohamud could have done. She had a considerable number of documents demonstrating her identity and connections to Canada apart from her passport.

She was fairly quick in mustering support from friends in Canada and the retention of a Canadian lawyer. It was these actions that lead to sufficient publicity about the matter that senior officials decided that the original decision made in Nairobi had to be reviewed and then the arrangements for DNA testing were made.

I recently got a new passport. The quality of the picture is very dark. Will it be accepted in another country? Should I take old passport as well as the picture is clearer? Planning trip in Sept. to USA.

Gar Pardy: I would suggest that if there is time that you return your new passport to the passport office with a request for one with a better photograph. If there is not sufficient time, then take your old passport along with some other photographic identity such as a drivers license and medical identify card.

If my Passport is stolen, can people do alot of harm with it?

Gar Pardy: Passport theft is quite common and in many parts of the world there is a market for sale. In large measure, stolen passports are sold to persons who are attempting to enter Canada illegally. Usually there is an attempt to substitute the original photograph with one of the new owner. Sometimes this succeeds but increasingly with new security features this is becoming more difficult. Stolen passports are also used for non travel purposes such as bank or credit card fraud.

When traveling abroad, are there special concerns for Canadians who possess dual citizenship ?

Gar Pardy: Yes, very much so especially if the travel is to your second country of citizenship. For a Canadian with Iranian citizenship for example it is not possible to enter Iran using your Canadian passport, you have to use your Iranian one. Making matters worse it is almost impossible to renounce Iranian citizenship. However, many countries accept the legitimacy of dual citizenship but if you encounter difficulty than it is more than likely that you will be considered a citizen of the second country and treated accordingly.

There are no international rules governing this area.

Does a foreign government have the right to confiscate your passport?

Gar Pardy: It is more an accepted practice than a right. Governments do it all the time and the only redress is to object but it will not succeed. “Your” passport is not yours but belongs to the government of Canada. It is only “lent” to you. If there is difficulty with a foreign government or a private entity on this then you should bring the matter to the attention of the Canadian government. Many ship cruise companies require that you deposit your passport with them prior to departure. If you do not agree then you could be barred from travelling.

Do you suggest reporting to Canadian Embassy while visiting that country? Does reporting guarantees a Canadian Citizenship in case people need help?

Gar Pardy: It is useful to do so especially if you are travelling to a country with significant security problems or if you are going to be there for some time. The Department of Foreign Affairs has an online registration system for this purpose and it can found at www.voyage.gc.ca.

Sometimes businesses (hotels, car rental agencies, etc.) ask to see (or copy) your passport. Are there times when you should not show your passport?

Gar Pardy: This is a common practice in many parts of the world. Generally you have to comply or you could be denied service. There is no redress except complaining to the country concerned that you do not agree with the policy.

I will be going to Europe next spring,
will I require a visa to visit any of the following. The Czech Republic, Germany, Austria,
Slovakia & Hungary.

Gar Pardy: Visa requirements change with some frequency. You should go to the web sites of each of the embassies of these countries in Canada and there you will find up to date information on their visa requirements for Canadians.

If I run into legal trouble in a foreign country and I am assisted or extracted, will I be asked to pay back DEFAIT for the costs or are these "running expenses" of DEFAIT? Would those expenses cause me financial hardship upon my return?

Gar Pardy: Foreign Affairs as a rule do not assist persons with the payment of legal expenses. However, it will assist in identifying local lawyers or legal aid programs that may be willing to assist. Equally, it will facilitate contact with family and friends in Canada who may be willing to assist. Generally loans from foreign affairs are made to assist in your travel back to Canada if that is necessary. You sign an undertaking to repay in these situations and if repayment is not made then you could be denied passport services.

In addition to your passport, what other type of identification documents should you bring when traveling outside Canada?

Gar Pardy: Photographic identification issued by a government (driver’s license, OHIP cards, citizenship cards) is best. As well you should also carry a copy of your birth certificate if you were born in Canada.

A question about travelling with two passports (EU country + Canada). If I enter a country on an EU passport am I still entitled to Canadian Consular Services as a Canadian Citizen if I have my Canadian passport?

Gar Pardy: Yes you would be still entitled to Canadian consular services. However, it is possible that a country would not be prepared to accept representations by Canadian officials on your behalf if you did not use a Canadian passport for entry. China is one such country and there is a treaty between Canada and China on the matter.

Are Canadian citizens allowed to seek help from British or Australian consulates?

Gar Pardy: You can seek such assistance but there is no obligation on their part to provide. There is one exception, Canada and Australia have an agreement whereby in certain countries without a Canadian embassy the Australian embassy would provide assistance.

Canada does the same for Australians in countries without an Australian embassy. The list of such countries can be found at www.voyage.gc.ca.

Citizenship and Immigration undertook a study on a national ID card for Canada in 2003, which was then seen as too expensive.

With Canada introducing an e-Passport in 2011, do you think Canada should again consider updating identity document security (such as fingerprints being required, as is being implemented in all EU passports, or an updated citizenship certificate, that can be more easily obtained and updated?

Gar Pardy: This remains a very sensitive political issue in Canada (and the United States for that matter). It is my belief that no Canadian government would legislate the existence of a national identity document containing fingerprints and other such information. In Europe there is a historical tradition of national identity documents and (except for the United Kingdom) there is greater public acceptance of and support for the idea.

I'm often hassled at the US border b/c of an F-1 visa I used to hold. But last month I interrogated for 90 minutes b/c I'd forgotten to bring my passport.
At 1st I refused to let them fingerprint or photograph me (privacy issues etc). But I agreed, in the end, out of sheer exhaustion and the naivete to believe the officers when they *promised* to expunge my biometric data once my ID & background check were done.
The next time I drove down(with a passport), it took >2hrs and another round of biometric scans before I was allowed to go... back to Canada. The extra time & stress are bad enough, but I'm far more worried about my personal information.

Is there a way to have my biometric details expunged from their gov't databases?? And would I be a fool to believe that they'll actually follow through?? Or will I always be hassled,bullied, & intimidated when I try to nip down to the USA to do a little shopping??
--thx!

Gar Pardy: On the hope that your personal data would be removed from the American data base based on a promise to you then there are absolutely no guarantees. More likely than not your data will remain in someone’s data base. The only possibility is for you to make application to an American embassy or consulate in Canada on the matter and seek their assistance in at least updating the records with respect to the F1 visa. That may help but again there are no guarantees.

Being a Canadian citizen, will staying abroad for extended periods of time (say 5 years or more) pose any additional hindrances when stranded ?

Gar Pardy: None whatsoever. The important factor is your Canadian citizenship. It is not diminished by the time you spend out of the country.

In 2010 I plan to travel by Rv in several Latin American countries. What must I do to protect myself from undue problems with entering and exiting these countries?

Gar Pardy: In 2010 I plan to travel by RV in several Latin American countries. What must I do to protect myself from undue problems with entering and exiting these countries?

All countries have differing rules on the entry of vehicles. You should go the web sites of each of the embassies in Canada of the countries you plan to enter and obtain the requirement as they would apply to you. Do not expect any shortcuts at the border, otherwise you will spend more time at the border then in the country.

In your opinion, What should be first point of contact, or what steps one should take if some one is abroad and having trouble with clearing immigration with PR card or Canadian Passport.

Gar Pardy: I am not familiar with a “PR” card. However, if you encounter problems upon entry from foreign officials then you should ask to contact the local Canadian embassy. That should be your very first step.

I am in the military and for most of our overseas deployments we have to turn in our Ordinary blue passport to have it replaced with the Special green passport. Often many of these taskings are very short notice, yet the delay for departure is invariably linked to not having the Special passport issued by DFAIT. As representatives of the Government of Canada, why not just issue the Special green passports once and for all to avoid all the lengthy delays that we encounter when we apply for them?

Gar Pardy: Special passports (green) and diplomatic ones (red) are issued only when they are used in connection with official Canadian government business. As such I do not believe that the government would agree to issue you a special passport that could be used for non-official purpose. Equally, other governments could question your using a green passport for travel to Mexico on vacation.