Canada announced that it will put a temporary import ban on the importation of restricted handguns in order to bring the ultimate impact of the national handgun freeze into force sooner.
This temporary ban means that individuals and businesses will no longer be able to import handguns into Canada, subject to narrow exceptions that mirror those in Bill C-21. These restrictions will take effect on August 19th, 2022, and will last until the national freeze comes into force.
Canada introduced Bill C-21 in May 2022 which proposes a number of reforms to tackle gun violence in our communities. Canada has already tabled regulatory amendments under the Firearms Act, which are expected to come into force in Fall 2022.
Handguns were the most serious weapon present in the majority of firearm-related violent crimes (59 per cent) between 2009 and 2020. The number of registered handguns in Canada increased by 71 per cent between 2010 and 2020, reaching approximately 1.1 million.
No single program or initiative can tackle the challenge of gun violence on its own. “That is why Bill C-21 and the national freeze on handguns are two of the many elements in the Government’s comprehensive plan to keep Canadians safe. This begins at our borders, where we’ve added resources to fight smuggling and stop guns from coming into Canada. We’re also investing in prevention programs to tackle the root causes of gun crime and stop it before it starts. Finally, we banned assault-style weapons like AR-15s, and will soon begin a buyback program to get these weapons of war out of our communities once and for all,” said Marco Mendicino, Minister of Public Safety.
“We know that one Canadian killed by gun violence is one too many. As a government, it is our duty to ensure that Canada remains one of the safest places to live in the world. The import ban announced today will help to keep guns stay off our streets as we work towards implementing Bill C-21, reducing gun violence in the immediate term,” said Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
