As the US deported its last Naziwar criminal facing deportation this morning, it’s time for Canada to take ahard look at its failure in bringing suspected Nazi war criminals to justice.

According to reports, anestimated 2,000-5,000 war criminals fled to Canada following the Second WorldWar, yet not a single one of them has ever been successfully prosecuted in the country.

According to a recent statusreport by Dr. Efraim Zuroff, Simon Wiesenthal Center’s chief Nazi hunter, whileCanada switched to the “American model” of denaturalization and deportation in1994 and revoked the citizenship of 10 suspected war criminals for concealingtheir Nazi pasts, not a single one has been successfully deported. The reportstates that of the 10 individuals, two left the country voluntarily while sevendied in Canada, leaving just one suspected Nazi war criminal still facing thelegal system – Helmut Oberlander.

“While it’s gratifying to seethe US continuing to take action against Nazi war criminals, regardless of how muchtime has passed, it’s truly disappointing to witness Canada’s failure inenforcing deportations,” said FSWC President and CEO Avi Benlolo. “It is nevertoo late to bring existing Nazi war criminals to justice.”

Oberlander, a94-year-old who served as an interpreter in an SS-led death squad that murderedat least 23,000 civilians between 1941 and 1943, had his citizenship revokedfour times, only to have him successfully appeal the decisions three times. Heis now in the process of appealing the fourth revocation of his citizenship.

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Watch FSWC President and CEO Avi Benlolo share his thoughts on today's deportation of the former Nazi camp guard.

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Media Contact:
Avital Borisovsky 
Communications Associate  
416.864.9735 x 29
aborisovsky@fswc.ca