Comments on: Controversy in Canada: Expats, Aid Workers and Citizenship

By: alexandra

alexandra — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:55:36 +0000

I’m a fifth-generation Cdn who has spent the past 20 yrs in the Middle East, and whose three children were all born abroad, We have always maintained our ties with Canada and will be returning for good this summer. However, should my children, in turn, end up living and working abroad,, I would certainly not expect THEIR children to get Cdn nationality automatically, unless said children were born in Canada. I have met too many naturalized Canadians who have obtained their passports through dubious “Cdn.immigration experts” and who have often not even spent the requisite three years in our country!

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By: Hal

Hal — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:27:31 +0000

As someone quickly approaching family-rearing age, such a law would definitely give me pause before taking another long-term overseas assignment (if, granted, I had been born abroad thus making my children subject to the rule). Though my wife and I often throw around the what-if of giving up U.S. citizenship, to consciously bring a child into the world stateless would be rather ludicrous.

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By: Sarah_Menkedick

Sarah_Menkedick — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 21:13:05 +0000

I agree, Eva, this is absurd. How is it possible that a child born overseas, brought to Canada at say, 8 months, and raised there for the next eighteen years is denied citizenship? Or a child born to a Canadian who has worked and lived in Canada for decades, or worked abroad for Canadian companies and paid Canadian taxes, is denied citizenship? Also, I think the most troubling idea here is having no citizenship whatsoever. What happens to a child who is denied Canadian citizenship by virtue of being born abroad, and who also happens to have been born in a country which does not automatically grant citizenship by birth? What happens to people with no citizenship? This is a mind-boggling concept.

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By: Eva

Eva — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:44:33 +0000

We're not talking about kids who are born abroad and never return. We're talking about kids who are born abroad, live here most of their lives, and happen to have their kids abroad too. Still think they should be SOL? I paid my Canadian taxes when I lived/studied/worked overseas. What right does the government have to deny my kids citizenship when I pay my taxes?

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By: Eva

Eva — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:42:55 +0000

So because Europe does it, we should too? That's a substantive argument you've got there. Did you wind up stateless (ie without any citizenship at all) as a result of your "snafu"? Because that is facing some of these people.

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By: teebird150

teebird150 — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:19:09 +0000

i say cap it at 1 generation. If your kids, born abroad, dont return and have their kids in Canada – tough luck, their out. You simply cant enjoy the benefits of being called Canadian if you've never lived or contributed here. That Lebanese situation was out of control B.S.and needed to be stopped somehow.

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By: rrgg

rrgg — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 18:56:48 +0000

Give me a break. A lot of Europe has similar or stricter laws on citizenship. I lost Italian citizenship due to a similar kind of snafu.

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