Ontario says No to removing citizenship by birth on soil | Toronto Star

Expect that Ontario, which accounts for 37 percent of all births in Canada, essentially killed federal plans when it formally notified CIC in September 2012 of its opposition:

“In our view, there is not enough evidence to justify the effort and expense required for such a system-wide program change. Citizenship and immigration Canada has not quantified the extent of fraud resulting from ‘birth tourism,’’ said Ontario Deputy Immigration Minister Chisanga Puta-Chekwe.

“At this time, there is insufficient data to demonstrate the demand placed on Ontario’s economy or public services from ‘birth tourists,’” he wrote in a letter to Ottawa, dated September 6, 2012, after a technical briefing on the plan. A copy of the province’s response was obtained by the Star this week.

On Friday, a spokesperson for Ontario Immigration Minister Michael Chan said the province has not changed its position.“While citizenship is the sole responsibility of the federal government under Canada’s constitution, any proposed change to citizenship policy can have profound impact on the provinces and territories,” said the spokesperson.

“Adequate time needs to be taken to understand the full implications of any change in policy. Canada needs to get this right, in partnership with provinces and territories.”

Ontario says No to removing citizenship by birth on soil | Toronto Star.

Direct link to the DM letter here, along with some other related Ontario documents:

ON – Letter from ON DM Citizenship and Immigration to CIC DM 6 Sep 2012