Immigration.ca - Canada Immigration News - April 2009
Amidst a slew of controversy, the Government of Canada is moving forward with new changes to citizenship laws that could affect any Canadian born outside of the country.
The new law will no longer allow for Canadians born outside of Canada to automatically pass on their citizenship status to their own children, if born outside of the country as well.
The policy change was said to be motivated by a desire to “preserve the value” of Canadian citizenship and prevent status being passed from generation to generation of foreigners.
However, a strong outcry from Canadian citizens living and working abroad had recently prompted Immigration Minister Jason Kenney to open an “investigation” on the new law.
Critics of the legislation argue that it will discourage more Canadians from international work if they cannot pass on their status to their children. Some even argue that foreign employers may become hesitant to hire Canadians, particularly Canadian women, if they have to fund a trip back to Canada for the potential employee so that their child will not lose status.
Further criticisms arise when considering that not all countries automatically grant status to a child born inside their borders, resulting in children with no citizenship at all.
Yet, despite these concerns and a review by the Immigration Department, the new law will go into effect this month. Representatives for the Minister say that their own investigation on its implications is “ongoing.”
Source: Globe and Mail
