Immigration Minister Marc Miller tabled legislation aimed at expanding citizenship eligibility for certain children born outside of Canada.
In 2009, the Conservative government altered the law, restricting Canadian parents born abroad from passing down citizenship unless their child was born within Canada. Those affected by these changes, known as “Lost Canadians,” have been deprived of citizenship rights.
The proposed bill seeks to extend citizenship by descent beyond the first generation born outside of Canada. To pass Canadian citizenship under this proposed bill, parents born abroad must have resided in Canada for at least three years before their child’s birth or adoption. Last year, the Ontario Superior Court deemed the existing system unconstitutional, highlighting the creation of two tiers of Canadians, and mandated Ottawa to address the issue by June 19.
