Getting a Cold Shoulder.

This article discusses the Canadian passport as it relates to national security and terrorism. Verification is quickly becoming the norm, and the Canadian passport is no exception. Its coveted value worldwide has made it the target of passport forgers for years. An Iranian asylum-seeker once told me that he chose to escape to Canada for no other reason than the ease with which he could obtain a forged Canadian passport. ("It wasn't my first choice, but it was the easiest," he said.) The net result: Canada's passport doesn't carry the weight it once did. Recent changes, including digital and holographic imaging and optically variable inks, have been the Canadian government's response to the problem. Suzanne Meunier, a spokesperson for the Canadian Passport Office, insists that the refitted passport is "one of the most respected documents in the world."