The government of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled legislation Monday that would halt the importation, purchase, and sale of firearms.
Trudeau stated, "We are capping the amount of handguns in our country."
This fall, it is anticipated that rules to halt the proliferation of privately owned firearms would be implemented.
"It will be unlawful to purchase, sell, transfer, or import handguns in Canada," declared the prime minister.
Canada already has plans to outlaw 1,500 types of military-style rifles and implement a buyback program by the end of this year. It has already increased background checks.
The announcement of the new policy follows horrific shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York, this month. Trudeau has had intentions to pass stricter gun regulations for some time.
Bill Blair, the minister of emergency preparedness, stated that Canada and the United States are extremely different.
Blair stated, "In Canada, gun ownership is a privilege, not a right."
Canada has experienced substantially fewer mass shootings than the United States, despite the fact that the U.S. has a far greater population.
Blair stated that illegal firearms are frequently brought in from the United States, which has one of the biggest small arms arsenals in the world.
The government intends to combat gun smuggling and trafficking by increasing criminal penalties, allocating more resources to investigate crimes involving firearms, and enhancing border security.
Trudeau stated that extra financing has already doubled the number of illegal firearms confiscated at the U.S. border.
The administration also stated that the law would permit the revocation of firearms licenses for anyone convicted of domestic violence or criminal harassment, including stalking.
The bill would create a new "red flag" statute that would allow judges to order individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others to surrender their firearms.
The administration stated that the policy will conceal the identity of applicants, who are frequently women at risk of domestic violence, to ensure their safety.
According to the government, rifle magazines would be required to be permanently altered so they can never store more than five rounds, and the sale and transfer of large-capacity magazines will be prohibited under the Criminal Code.
Trudeau stated that his government acknowledges that the vast majority of gun owners in Canada are responsible, but that the level of gun violence is intolerable.
According to the prime minister, it is a concrete and practical national policy that will go a long way toward keeping Canadians secure.
