Canada Recalls Some New Citizenship Certificates After 12,000 'Lost Canadians' Applied
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 16
Canada Recalls Some New Citizenship Certificates After 12,000 'Lost Canadians' Applied
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 16
Summary
An unknown number of people who recently gained Canadian citizenship by descent have been told to return their new certificates because officials say they may not be entitled to them.
The immigration ministry said a limited number of files are under review over how individual cases were processed, and recipients can submit more evidence before any final decision.
Applicants and lawyers say the letters are baffling because the certificates were already issued after detailed ancestry submissions, sometimes using census records when birth or baptism documents were unavailable.
The dispute hits a new pathway created by December's 'Lost Canadians' law, which drew more than 12,000 applications in its first six weeks, many from U.S.-born descendants.