On Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared a moratorium on firearms purchases and transfers in a new statement issued by his office.
The handgun freeze, which went into force on Friday, prohibits persons in Canada from selling, purchasing, or otherwise transferring weapons.
Furthermore, no foreign handguns may be imported into the nation in the future.
“Fewer guns mean safer communities. That’s why the Government of Canada is implementing some of the strongest gun control measures in a generation. Handguns are the weapon of choice in most firearm-related crimes, which is why limiting the number of handguns is a critical part of our plan to protect Canadians from gun violence.” The Prime Minister’s official statement read.
“The national handgun freeze is part of the government’s comprehensive plan to tackle gun violence. We have already banned over 1,500 types of assault-style firearms and have strengthened our gun control laws to expand background checks.” The statement continues.
The Prime Minister’s Office issued the statement outlining Trudeau’s reasoning and the enhanced safety they seek to promote through the handgun freeze.
Canadian officials justified the tough regulations by citing firearms’ disproportionate prevalence in violent crime.
The drastic new measures represent some of the most stringent gun regulations in North America.
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