NDP wants minister to explain why citizenship certificates were abruptly suspended

Key Points:

• NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan has called on Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab to disclose why citizenship certificates issued under Bill C-3 have been abruptly suspended for an unknown number of people worldwide and to halt any adverse actions until a review is completed.
• The suspended certificates were issued under legislation addressing "lost Canadians," allowing descendants of Canadian ancestors to claim citizenship, but questions have arisen about procedural fairness and administrative competence in the citizenship system.
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) stated a limited number of certificates are under review to verify if they were properly issued based on legal evidence, but has not revealed how many people are affected or what triggered the suspensions.
• Minister Diab emphasized that Canadian ancestry does not automatically confer citizenship, requiring proof of lineage for each generation, and defended the review process as necessary to protect the integrity of the citizenship program.
• Over 4,075 people, about half born in the U.S., have received citizenship certificates by descent since Bill C-3 passed, which allows individuals abroad with Canadian ancestors to claim citizenship even if their ancestors left Canada generations ago.