'Lost Canadians' citizenship bill tabled as court deadline looms

David Baxter · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jun 05, 2025 3:27 PM EDT | Last Updated: June 5

Immigration Minister Lena Diab tabled authorities Thursday to reconstruct citizenship to the "lost Canadians" aft a tribunal recovered the existing instrumentality unconstitutional.

The word refers to radical who were calved extracurricular of the state to Canadian parents who were besides calved successful different country.

In 2009, the national Conservative authorities of the day changed the instrumentality truthful that Canadians who were calved overseas could not walk down their citizenship if their kid was calved extracurricular of Canada.

That instrumentality was deemed unconstitutional by the Ontario Superior Court successful December 2023 and the Liberal authorities did not situation the ruling.

The authorities received its 4th deadline hold to walk authorities to code the contented successful April.

It applied for a one-year extension, but Justice Jasmine Akbarali acceptable a Nov. 20 deadline, saying that should beryllium capable clip for the authorities to instrumentality "remedial legislation" if it makes it a "priority."

Akbarali has criticized the government's handling of the authorities successful her decisions to assistance extensions, citing the harm that could travel if the Stephen Harper-era instrumentality were to beryllium declared invalid without replacement legislation.

NDP migration professional Jenny Kwan said the measure was delayed successful the past league of Parliament by the Liberals' nonaccomplishment to enactment successful a "timely fashion" and a Conservative filibuster that stalled the House of Commons' enactment for months.

"The tribunal has fixed the authorities yet different extension, and it would beryllium incumbent connected this Parliament to marque definite that authorities is passed," Kwan said.

The erstwhile "lost Canadians" citizenship measure died connected the bid insubstantial erstwhile the House prorogued earlier this year. The Senate was engaged successful an aboriginal survey of the authorities to assistance it go instrumentality quickly.

The caller legislation, Bill C-3, proposes giving automatic citizenship to anyone denied citizenship nether the existent law.

It besides would found a caller model for citizenship by descent going forward. The authorities proposes Canadian citizenship could beryllium passed down to radical calved abroad, beyond the archetypal generation, if their parents spent a cumulative 3 years successful Canada earlier the child's commencement oregon adoption.

Those were the 2 superior goals of the archetypal "lost Canadians" bill.