Immigration department suddenly suspends citizenship of scores of ‘Lost Canadians’

Further coverage with predictable comments by Chapman. Most of the coverage to date raises few concerns regarding the limited connection to Canada that most applicants have. Will continue to monitor numbers as they emerge:

…Don Chapman, who campaigned for decades for Lost Canadians to receive their citizenship, said for people with Canadian ancestors stretching back hundreds of years birth certificates were not always available, and other official documents such as census records have been accepted by IRCC. 

One Lost Canadian, he said, had an ancestor born in a part of Quebec that did not issue birth certificates. But it did have baptismal records. However, as her ancestors were Jewish they were not baptized. She relied on other official records, including the official census, to prove her ancestors was Canadian. 

“To revoke citizenship by e-mail and without a judicial review is horrifying. It also sets precedence in that no Canadian will ever be secure until citizenship is a right versus a legislated privilege,” he said. 

“I want everyone who was given citizenship to be reinstated, with assurances that they keep it. If not, I expect court challenges where the government should pay all expenses and damages.”

“After decades of being unconstitutionally denied their citizenship, Lost Canadians need to be welcomed home, not shunned,” he added. 

In its statement, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said that “trained officers review all the evidence before them before approving a citizenship certificate.”

The fresh review “is to determine, through an individualized process, whether the certificate was properly issued based on the evidence required by law,” the statement added. 

“This is a necessary and important safeguard, and all affected individuals will have an opportunity to provide additional documentary evidence in support of their case. If the review confirms that the individual is entitled to the certificate, it will be returned.”

Source: Immigration department suddenly suspends citizenship of scores of ‘Lost Canadians’