EXCLUSIVE: Bill C-3 opened citizenship claims to those with pre-Confederation ancestry
An immigration lawyer is calling out the Liberals for failing to clarify whether citizenship claims under Bill C-3 can extend to pre-Confederation ancestry, as the immigration department backpedals.
Ottawa’s immigration department is under fire after repeatedly reversing its position on whether new citizenship rules under Bill C-3 apply to people tracing ancestry back to before Canada even existed.
Confusion over the policy has sparked a wave of online claims from would-be applicants insisting they qualify through centuries-old family ties, while officials remain silent on how many applications have been filed or approved under the new rules.
Numerous online groups and forums show a significant number of individuals who claim to be Americans with historic ties to what is now Canadian soil, believing they can claim Canadian citizenship, with some claiming they’ve received citizenship despite neither of their ancestors being Canadian citizens.
Sergio Karas, an immigration lawyer and staunch critic of Bill C-3, an act amending the Citizenship Act that is now law, says the Liberals have completely “botched” the bill, failed to listen to warnings, and is calling for the immigration minister, Lena Diab, to resign.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada did not respond to Juno News’ requests to clarify whether those with ancestral ties to Canada before confederation can receive automatic citizenship, nor did they provide data on how many new applications were received since Bill C-3 received Royal Assent.
