New Delhi: Canada’s regulations to prohibit the sale, purchase, and transfer of handguns came into force on Friday. According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, people can no longer bring newly acquired handguns into the country.
As per the statement, Trudeau said, “With handgun violence increasing across Canada, it is our duty to take urgent action to remove these deadly weapons from our communities.” The temporary ban on the importation of handguns into Canada that took effect on August 19, 2022, remains in place.
We said we’d make it impossible to buy, sell, or transfer handguns anywhere in Canada. And that’s what we’ve done. https://t.co/8UTGexTLm7 pic.twitter.com/h2qCaBvaCh
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) October 22, 2022
“One life taken by gun violence is one too many. We will continue to work with provinces, territories, Indigenous communities, and municipalities to keep Canadians safe. We will continue to do whatever it takes to keep guns out of our communities and build a safer country, for everyone,” Trudeau said.
The country’s gun control measure was announced in May this year alongside proposed legislation that would implement the strongest gun control measures in over 40 years as part of the Trudeau “government’s comprehensive plan to tackle gun violence,” his office said.
Canadian Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino called it the country’s “most significant action on gun violence in a generation,” adding: “The national freeze will tackle the alarming role of handguns in crime, gender-based violence and more”.
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However, applications submitted before October 21, 2022, to buy, sell, or transfer a handgun within Canada will continue to be processed.
The statement said that handguns were used in 59 per cent of violent crime involving firearms between 2009 and 2020. Trudeau’s government introduced bill C-21 to fight gun violence, and his office said Friday’s action will help “keep Canadians safe” while the legislation is debated.
According to news agency Reuters, Canadians can own guns with a license, some firearms must also be registered.
