Handgun imports will be prohibited in Canada pending a total freeze

• The temporary ban will be enforced until parliament passes new rules.
• Canada already has stricter gun-ownership laws than the United States.
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• Gun ownership is not enshrined in the constitution, but firearms remain popular.

Handgun imports will be prohibited in Canada, as part of a move that could result in a total ban on their purchase and sale.

Starting on August 19, the temporary ban will be enforced until parliament passes strict new rules.

Handguns “have one and only one purpose, and that is to kill people,” said Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino on Friday.

Following outrage over several deadly shootings, the government proposed a total ban in May.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau proposed the legislation, known as Bill C-21, just days after the Texas elementary school shooting in which 21 people were killed.

The bill would make it illegal to buy, sell, transfer, or import handguns in the United States.

Unlike in the United States, gun ownership is not enshrined in Canada’s constitution, but firearms remain popular, particularly in rural areas.

Canada already has stricter gun-ownership laws than its southern neighbour and has fewer firearm incidents each year.

For example, all guns must be kept locked and unloaded, and anyone interested in purchasing a firearm must go through extensive background checks.

However, there have been calls in recent years to tighten gun laws even further.

In April 2020, a gunman posing as a police officer killed 22 people in Nova Scotia during the deadliest shooting spree in Canadian history.

Mr Trudeau announced an immediate ban on 1,500 different types of military-grade and assault-style weapons within days.

According to a statement issued following the announcement of the import ban on Friday, the number of registered handguns in Canada increased by 71% between 2010 and 2020, reaching approximately 1.1 million.

“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… reducing gun violence in the immediate term,” said Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly.

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