Canadian Immigration Tracker 2018-25

2026/02/27 Leave a comment

Regular detailed tracking of Canadian immigration including permanent residents, temporary workers, asylum claimants, and study permits from 2018 to 2025 with regional and program-specific insights.

Quarterly and annual comparisons. While Permanent Residents 2025 target met, temporary workers, IMP and TFWP, significantly exceed planned levels, with students also exceeding.

While all programs showed significant increase since 2018 baseline, 2025 also showed a decline compared to 2024. Slides 3 and 4 provide the highlights.

https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/comprehensive-analysis-of-canadian-immigration-trends-2018-2025/286254190

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Where is Canada’s immigration minister? Community groups are asking

2026/02/26 Leave a comment

Don’t expect her to survive the next shuffle:

When Lena Diab was appointed head of Canada’s Immigration Department, community expectations were high.

The new minister is the daughter of immigrants, is trilingual and spent part of her childhood in Lebanon. Diab had also previously served in cabinet in her home province of Nova Scotia.

“It seemed like the perfect plan,” said Stephan Reichhold, executive director of the Quebec-based Table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes.

But Reichhold quickly became disillusioned with a minister who, in his opinion, was conspicuous in her absence.

Members of Parliament are also expressing disappointment in Diab’s performance — including some of her fellow Liberal caucus members.

‘She is completely absent’

Reichhold said he has never managed to speak directly with Diab, despite repeatedly asking to meet following her swearing-in last May.

“I have seen 14 immigration ministers come and go, and it is truly surprising. We are really astonished that she is completely absent,” Reichhold said.

That’s in contrast with her predecessor Marc Miller, who Reichhold said had frequent contact with stakeholders in the field even when his government lowered its immigration targets.

Radio-Canada spoke with five other organizations that criticized Diab’s availability. Among them is the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, which spoke with the minister only once, via videoconference, last spring.

The organization is seeking to open a path to permanent residency for Ukrainians who have fled the war, but has still not managed to secure an in-person meeting with Diab. Her predecessors were more readily available, said the CEO of the congress, Ihor Michalchyshyn.

“It’s frustrating,” he said. “We haven’t been able to schedule a meeting despite several attempts.”

Organizations also note that the minister is not very visible in the media, even as the immigration issue was widely covered in Quebec.

When asked to comment, Diab declined Radio-Canada’s request for an interview and did not provide a written response.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Mark Carney said that “as minister of immigration, [Diab] plays a key role in the government’s mandate to bring immigration back to sustainable levels, while attracting the best talent in the world to help build our economy.”

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) did not comment on the criticism from community groups.

Committee presence criticized

On the few occasions when Diab has been visible — in parliamentary committee, for example — her performance has raised eyebrows.

At the end of October, the minister had difficulty answering a question from the Bloc Québécois about processing times for refugee status applications and sought information from the civil servants sitting next to her.

Exasperated, MP Claude DeBellefeuille snapped, “Madam minister, why won’t you answer me? It’s your power. Why are you delegating it to your civil servant?”

“There are many laws governing these issues,” Diab replied, adding that “it depends on the circumstances.”

A few weeks later, Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel Garner, known for her sharp tongue in committee, questioned Diab about the possibility of extending the visas of millions of temporary residents and called her a “very bad minister.” The exchange was widely shared on social media.

“I understand as a woman in politics, sometimes you can get framed unfairly,” said Rempel Garner in an interview with Radio-Canada. “But she is the minister of immigration. She has to step it up, right? And I just, I haven’t seen that.… I feel like I know the file far better than she does.”

The minister testified this month before two Senate committees studying the border security legislation Bill C-12. On several occasions, Diab had to give the floor to the officials accompanying her, visibly unable to answer the questions.

“She doesn’t have a strong command of her file,” said Bloc Québécois MP Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, who was present during some of these committee exchanges and who, until recently, was the Bloc’s immigration critic.

Discouraged Liberals 

Criticism is coming not only from opposition parties, but also from Diab’s own Liberal colleagues.

Away from the cameras, 10 Liberal MPs spoke to Radio-Canada about her performance. They were granted confidentiality in order to express themselves freely.

Of those, only one defended Diab’s job performance. Although several of them emphasized that she is a “good person” in charge of a “difficult” portfolio, nine MPs said they believe that the minister is overwhelmed and are openly questioning her place at the cabinet table.

“It doesn’t make sense. In the House of Commons, many MPs hold their breath when she answers questions from the opposition,” said one Liberal elected official.

“We’re afraid she’ll put her foot in her mouth.”

Source: Where is Canada’s immigration minister? Community groups are asking

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Why millions of New Englanders may now be eligible for ‘proof’ they are Canadian citizens

2026/02/26 Leave a comment

Definitely a theoretical possibility but in practice, given that most parents will not have met the residency requirement needed for the second and third generation to claim citizenship will likely be a small percentage. But proof data will show the extent of any increase but only broken down by country:

…Bill C-3 allows citizenship to flow beyond the first generation born or adopted abroad, ultimately recognizing an entire chain of descendants, as long as there is a Canadian citizen who anchors the chain with at least 1,095 days (three years) of cumulative physical presence in Canada. The descendants will automatically be new citizens, able to obtain proof of Canadian citizenship, rather than having to apply for citizenship.

Patrick White, a journalism professor at the Université du Québec à Montréal, points to significant interest in obtaining Canadian citizenship by the descendants of French Canadians who migrated from Quebec to New England.

“I see a genuine interest in Facebook groups associated to Franco Americans,” White said in an email to National Post. One group, based in Maine, posted news about the new legislation in early February.

“Close to one million French Canadians left Québec between 1840 and 1930,” says White, citing Franco-American historian, David Vermette, who described the migration in his book, Distinct Alien Race: The Untold Story of Franco-Americans.

Their descendants “now represent almost 10 million Americans,” says White. “The current climate in the U.S. is leading many of them to inquire about the possible acquisition of Canadian citizenship because of the changes made here in December. This is a ‘Plan B’ for them.”

Though, “it’s too early to say” if there how many will be applying, he adds.”

Source: Why millions of New Englanders may now be eligible for ‘proof’ they are Canadian citizens

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Immigrant who came to Canada using a false identity wins another shot at retaining citizenship

2026/02/20 Leave a comment

Sigh….:

…But in a Federal Court decision dated Feb. 12, Bapari successfully challenged the decision by a delegate of the immigration minister that refused him relief based on his personal circumstances.

“Mr. Bapari recognized that he had misled the authorities by relying on false identity when he first came to Canada, and then by not disclosing the misdeed when he claimed permanent residence and citizenship,” Roy said. “But he raised a number of issues that qualify as personal circumstances. The MD (ministerial delegate) had to address these in the reasons in writing he had to give.”

The MD found that Bapari “has obtained his Canadian citizenship by fraud or false representation or by knowingly concealing material circumstances,” said the Federal Court decision.

“The failure to disclose the alternate identity and removal order prevented an accurate eligibility and admissibility assessment, thus allowing (Bapari’s) return to Canada without the required written authorization. The application for Canadian citizenship suffered from the same defect. That application was not true, correct and complete in spite of the attestation to that effect given by” Bapari.

“The MD found that Bapari “has obtained his Canadian citizenship by fraud or false representation or by knowingly concealing material circumstances,” said the Federal Court decision.

“The failure to disclose the alternate identity and removal order prevented an accurate eligibility and admissibility assessment, thus allowing (Bapari’s) return to Canada without the required written authorization. The application for Canadian citizenship suffered from the same defect. That application was not true, correct and complete in spite of the attestation to that effect given by” Bapari.

The MD didn’t see the “circumstances surrounding the misrepresentations” as extenuating, or serving to lessen the seriousness of his actions, because Bapari didn’t have to use a false identity, said the decision. “Wanting a better life in Canada cannot be an excuse to undermine the integrity and fairness of Canada’s immigration system,” it said. “The misrepresentations constitute a very serious and intentional deception.”

“The MD emphasized that, as a previously deported person, Bapari “was banned from returning to Canada: a written authorization was required. Hence, the misrepresentations had the effect of circumventing the process. The admission of guilt and the remorse expressed by (Bapari) do not overcome the actions taken to circumvent immigration and citizenship laws.”

The MD examined Bapari’s social ties in Canada. “The decision maker notes in passing that (Bapari) has been living with his wife for 23 years without any trouble with the law. Good ties and roots have been established, including participating in community and religious activities. Stable employment is acknowledged; the loss of citizenship would result in an inability to work, which would put the couple in financial distress. The MD reckons that the revocation of citizenship could cause great emotional, psychological distress to (Bapari’s) wife, together with the financial stress resulting from his inability to work.”

Bapari also “now suffers from chronic diseases, which require medical treatment,” said the decision, which does not elaborate on his health condition.

“The MD considered Bapari’s “misrepresentations in and of themselves as being so grave that no personal circumstances appear to warrant special relief,” said the judge. “The integrity and fairness of the immigration system are put on a pedestal without engaging with the actual personal circumstances.”

Furthermore, the MD “puts the bar very high in requiring that (Bapari) demonstrate ‘extenuating circumstances that necessitated (his) misrepresentation to Canadian authorities.’ Without any explanation, the MD turns ‘special relief’ into a requirement that the misrepresentations be a necessity, perhaps even duress has become a must.”

No explanation was offered to Bapari “for such a restrictive view of what warrants ‘special relief,’” said the judge. “An explanation is needed for the reviewing court to assess its reasonableness.”

Roy concluded “that more and better is expected of a decision maker,” according to his decision. “The power over vulnerable persons brings with it the high responsibility to ensure that the reasons have duly considered the consequences of the decision when Parliament has instructed that personal circumstances be considered with a view to warrant special relief.”

“The MD’s reasons provided in this case “are not adequate to the task,” said the judge. “Whether or not the outcome might be reasonable is not relevant. It is the process leading to the outcome which is deficient, making the decision under review not reasonable.”

They’re “inadequate in view of the stakes,” Roy said. “As a result, the matter must be sent back to a different decision maker for redetermination.””

Source: “Immigrant who came to Canada using a false identity wins another shot at retaining citizenship”

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Ces athlètes qui se magasinent une nationalité

2026/02/17 Leave a comment

Always struck me as distasteful:

…Comment les athlètes se magasinent-ils des nationalités ?


Sauf approbation exceptionnelle du CIO, un athlète ne peut concourir sous la bannière d’un pays s’il en a représenté un autre dans les trois années précédentes. Il doit aussi être « libéré » par sa fédération d’origine, sans quoi un recours aux instances d’arbitrage est nécessaire.

Le cas du patinage artistique en duo est particulier, explique Me Patrice Brunet, spécialiste en droit de l’immigration et en droit du sport, et avocat de Stellato-Dudek.

Il est très difficile de trouver un partenaire avec qui travailler, et très souvent, ce sont des partenaires de deux pays.

 Me Patrice Brunet, spécialiste en droit de l’immigration et en droit du sport

Stellato-Dudek a contacté Me Brunet en 2021. Elle venait de se séparer de son ancien partenaire américain. Or, des patineurs artistiques de haut niveau, il n’en traîne pas beaucoup dans les arénas. Elle a entendu parler de Maxime Deschamps, qui venait lui aussi de mettre fin à son association. Ça a cliqué.

Les deux se sont demandé s’ils devraient être américains ou canadiens. Le chemin vers la nationalité canadienne était un peu plus simple… Ils ont choisi le Canada.

« Je lui ai dit : “Je veux gérer tes attentes. Pour les Jeux de 2022 [Pékin], ce n’est pas jouable” », dit l’avocat, qui est à Milan pour voir performer sa cliente.

Il faut d’abord un certificat de sélection du Québec. Pour ça, il faut démontrer qu’on peut occuper un emploi recherché par les employeurs québécois.

Or, le patinage artistique, c’est beaucoup d’ouvrage, mais ce n’est pas un travail. Impossible de passer par le chemin habituel. Il fallait passer par la discrétion ministérielle.

« Elle avait l’appui des fédérations sportives. On a demandé un traitement accéléré au bureau de Christine Fréchette. On l’a obtenu en six mois. »

Le plus compliqué était à venir : pour devenir citoyen canadien, il faut avoir été présent au moins trois années dans les cinq dernières.

« Ça nous mettait hors délai pour les Jeux de Milan-Cortina. Mais encore là, la discrétion ministérielle permet des exceptions. »

Le ministre était Marc Miller. Le dossier était en attente… puis en janvier, ils sont devenus champions du monde pour le Canada. Justin Trudeau les a félicités sur les réseaux sociaux.

Comment peut-on concourir pour le Canada sans être citoyen ? C’est permis par la fédération internationale, vu les nombreux couples binationaux. Mais pas aux Jeux olympiques.

L’avocat a donc fait une capture d’écran du tweet du premier ministre.

« Disons que ça bonifiait le dossier… Ma peur, c’était qu’ils l’accordent juste avant les Jeux. Il y a tout le volet psychologique à gérer. On a même envoyé une lettre de psychologue au ministre. »

La citoyenneté a été accordée en novembre 2024. Le couple a continué de s’entraîner à Boucherville. Et elle a appris le français depuis.

Les cas de figure de changement de drapeau sont innombrables. C’est souvent parce qu’un athlète n’a pas pu se qualifier dans son pays qu’il se tourne vers une autre fédération nationale. C’est le cas du patineur courte piste Félix Pigeon, devenu polonais avec l’accord de la fédération canadienne.

En entrevue au Journal de Québec, il disait n’avoir rien compris quand le président Karol Nawrocki est venu souhaiter bonne chance aux athlètes avant les Jeux.

Pour la même raison, de nombreux athlètes africains ont intégré les fédérations sportives de Bahreïn et du Qatar. Vu la profondeur de talent en athlétisme au Kenya et en Éthiopie, le 6e, voire le 12e au pays dans une discipline donnée fait néanmoins partie de l’élite mondiale et peut gagner une médaille.

Ajoutons à cela que ces riches pays du Golfe allongent un financement conséquent pour attirer ces athlètes.

À Paris, 11 des 14 athlètes de Bahreïn venaient de l’Éthiopie, du Kenya et du Nigeria. Au 3000 m steeple, Winfred Yavi, née au Kenya, a remporté l’or pour Bahreïn. Elle avait terminé 10e à Tokyo. Autrement dit, quand elle a changé de pays, c’était une athlète de haut niveau, prometteuse, mais pas une championne.

L’autre catégorie, plus controversée, est justement celle de l’importation de champions existants.

Le cas le plus spectaculaire est celui du patineur de vitesse Ahn Hyun-soo, immense vedette en Corée du Sud, qui avait remporté quatre médailles, dont trois d’or, aux Jeux de Turin. Blessé avant les qualifications de son pays pour les Jeux de Vancouver, on ne l’a pas laissé y participer. Il est devenu russe juste avant Sotchi et se fait appeler maintenant Viktor Ahn. Il a remporté trois médailles d’or pour la Russie. De retour en Corée du Sud, les choses apparemment ne se passent pas à merveille, d’autant qu’il a été entraîneur d’un grand rival, la Chine…

Le planchiste américain Vic Wild, lui, est tombé amoureux d’une Russe et a adopté la nationalité en 2011, à temps pour les Jeux de Sotchi. On lui avait trouvé un emploi bien rémunéré pour faciliter son intégration. L’investissement a payé : il a remporté deux médailles d’or et reçu l’accolade de son nouveau président, Vladimir Poutine.

À l’inverse, depuis l’invasion russe de l’Ukraine et la poursuite du bannissement du pays, on estime que 350 athlètes russes ont quitté le pays. Aux Jeux de Paris, 77 d’entre eux ont participé en tant qu’athlètes d’autres pays. Ils sont une trentaine à Milan-Cortina.

On peut ajouter à cela ceux qui n’ont aucun drapeau. Ils font partie de l’équipe des réfugiés. Elle n’est pas représentée à Milan-Cortina, mais ils étaient 36 à Paris, dont deux ont remporté une médaille de bronze.

Parfois, c’est aussi parce qu’un athlète n’a pas le choix qu’il change de drapeau.

Source: Ces athlètes qui se magasinent une nationalité

Unless exceptionally approved by the IOC, an athlete cannot compete under the banner of one country if he has represented another in the previous three years. He must also be “released” by his federation of origin, otherwise recourse to arbitration bodies is necessary.

The case of duo figure skating is special, explains Patrice Brunet, a specialist in immigration law and sports law, and lawyer for Stellato-Dudek.

It is very difficult to find a partner to work with, and very often, they are partners from two countries.

Me Patrice Brunet, specialist in immigration law and sports law

Stellato-Dudek contacted Me Brunet in 2021. She had just separated from her former American partner. However, high-level figure skaters, he doesn’t drag many in the arenas. She heard about Maxime Deschamps, who had also just ended his association. It clicked.

Both wondered if they should be American or Canadian. The path to Canadian citizenship was a little easier… They chose Canada.

“I told him, “I want to manage your expectations. For the 2022 Games [Beijing], it is not playable,” says the lawyer, who is in Milan to see his client perform.

You first need a Quebec selection certificate. For this, it is necessary to demonstrate that we can occupy a job sought after by Quebec employers.

However, figure skating is a lot of work, but it is not a job. Impossible to go through the usual path. It was necessary to go through ministerial discretion.

“She had the support of sports federations. An expedited treatment was requested at Christine Fréchette’s office. We got it in six months. ”

The most complicated thing was to come: to become a Canadian citizen, you must have been present for at least three years in the last five.

“It put us out of time for the Milan-Cortina Games. But again, ministerial discretion allows exceptions. ”

The minister was Marc Miller. The file was pending… then in January, they became world champions for Canada. Justin Trudeau congratulated them on social media.

How can you compete for Canada without being a citizen? This is allowed by the international federation, given the many binational couples. But not at the Olympic Games.

The lawyer therefore took a screenshot of the Prime Minister’s tweet.

“Let’s say it made the file a better… My fear was that they would grant it just before the Games. There is the whole psychological component to manage. We even sent a letter from a psychologist to the minister. ”

Citizenship was granted in November 2024. The couple continued to train in Boucherville. And she has learned French since then.

The scenarios of changing the flag are countless. It is often because an athlete has not been able to qualify in his country that he turns to another national federation. This is the case of short-track skater Félix Pigeon, who became Polish with the agreement of the Canadian federation.

In an interview with the Journal de Québec, he said he didn’t understand anything when President Karol Nawrocki came to wish the athletes good luck before the Games.

For the same reason, many African athletes have joined the sports federations of Bahrain and Qatar. Given the depth of athletics talent in Kenya and Ethiopia, the 6th or even the 12th in the country in a given discipline is nevertheless part of the world elite and can win a medal.

Let’s add to this that these rich Gulf countries are extending substantial funding to attract these athletes.

In Paris, 11 of Bahrain’s 14 athletes came from Ethiopia, Kenya and Nigeria. In the 3000 m steeple, Winfred Yavi, born in Kenya, won gold for Bahrain. She finished 10th in Tokyo. In other words, when she changed country, she was a high-level athlete, promising, but not a champion.

The other, more controversial category is precisely that of the import of existing champions.

The most spectacular case is that of speed skater Ahn Hyun-soo, a huge star in South Korea, who had won four medals, including three gold, at the Turin Games. Injured before his country’s qualifying for the Vancouver Games, he was not allowed to participate. He became Russian just before Sochi and is now called Viktor Ahn. He won three gold medals for Russia. Back in South Korea, things are apparently not going wonderfully, especially since he was the coach of a great rival, China…

American planker Vic Wild fell in love with a Russian and adopted the nationality in 2011, in time for the Sochi Games. He had been found a well-paid job to facilitate his integration. The investment paid off: he won two gold medals and received the hug of his new president, Vladimir Putin.

Conversely, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the continuation of the banishment from the country, it is estimated that 350 Russian athletes have left the country. At the Paris Games, 77 of them participated as athletes from other countries. There are about thirty of them in Milan-Cortina.

We can add to this those who have no flags. They are part of the refugee team. She is not represented in Milan-Cortina, but there were 36 in Paris, two of whom won a bronze medal.

Sometimes, it is also because an athlete has no choice that he changes his flag.

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Liberals quiet on whether government will support Senate changes to First Nations bill that would end second-generation cut-off

2026/02/17 Leave a comment

Interesting parallel with C-3 and citizenship by descent. But Indian status is more material in terms of benefits and Canadian citizenship. Hard to see what would be a meaningful connection test if no parent or grandparent indigenous:

The House of Commons has started its study of government legislation aimed at ending gender inequities in the Indian Act but it’s unclear if the Liberals will support Senate amendments eliminating the so-called second-generation cut-off.

The rule denies Indian status to people who had a non-First Nation parent and grandparent, and has been criticized as a colonial policy that allows Ottawa to determine who qualifies as Indigenous and designed to limit the government’s obligations to status peoples.

Bill S-2 was introduced in the House in December after passing in the Senate with amendments that would end the cut-off policy.

The amendments passed over objections from senators representing the government, who called for more consultations with rights-holders.

But critics accused the government of using the consultations as a delay tactic, with other changes in S-2 facing a court-imposed deadline of this spring.

During third reading debate in the Upper Chamber, Sen. PJ Prosper said waiting for separate legislation was risky in a minority Parliament, with the threat of an unexpected election call always looming.

“What happens to the children affected by the cut-off if the government fails before consultations are concluded? What happens to the children if the government cannot pass stand-alone legislation in time?” he asked.

“In that way, these amendments, with the one-year coming-into-force delay, act as a fail-safe in these uncertain and unpredictable times.”

S-2 bill is still awaiting second reading in the House, but the chamber’s Indigenous and northern affairs committee began their study this week on issues related to the Indian Act registration.

Lori Doran, director general of individual affairs at Indigenous Services, told the committee on Tuesday the government is currently collecting submissions on the second-generation cut-off, which will then be reviewed by a panel of First Nations experts to assess their “legal viability and other impacts.”

That would then be packaged into a guide for consultations at a series of First Nations-led events that would start in the spring, she said.

Doran said some of the options floated to replace the second-generation cut-off include a one-parent rule, First Nations jurisdiction to decide on status or the use of DNA testing.

Several First Nations groups have publicly called on the government to support the Senate changes, including the Assembly of First Nations, which advocates on behalf of over 630 communities.

At a special assembly in Ottawa in December, AFN chiefs voted to support Senate changes to Bill S-2 to end the cut-off policy, with some chiefs warning that many First Nations would lose all status members in coming decades without changes to registration requirements. If a First Nation loses all its status members, their reserve territory would become Crown land.

Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty responded that she needed more time to consult before making a decision.

Gull-Masty’s office said the minister was unavailable on Friday.

Appearing on Thursday before the House Indigenous committee, AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak called the second-generation cut-off a “blood-quantum rule rooted in colonial thinking” that was designed to “reduce Canada’s obligations by steadily decreasing the number of people entitled to Indian status.”

“The rule treats First Nations identity as something that can be diluted and eventually erased. It does not reflect First Nations understandings of belongings and places the power to decide who is Indian enough with the federal government.”…

Source: Liberals quiet on whether government will support Senate changes to First Nations bill that would end second-generation cut-off

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Thousands Of Americans Warned Of Passport Cancellations As State Department Reinforces 30-Year-Old Law

2026/02/14 2 Comments

Interesting use of citizenship to address “deadbeat” dads and moms:

U.S. officials have confirmed that the Department of State is starting active revocations of passports for parents who owe more than $2,500 in child support. Before this, the department was only able to deny or cancel the passports of these individuals when they initiated contact, such as for a renewal or other consular services.

In a statement released on Monday (Feb. 10), the State Department issued a strongly worded warning for “deadbeat parents,” as it begins proactive blocking of passports based on data shared by the Health and Human Services Department (HHS). This shift follows recent reports of U.S. travelers having their passports canceled without their knowledge, leading to detention and deportation abroad.

Established 30 years ago, the Passport Denial Program allows the federal government to freeze the travel rights of parents in arrears. Here’s a closer look at the changes to its enforcement, which are estimated to affect thousands of Americans.

U.S. State Department Begins Passport Cancellation For Parents With Unpaid Child Support

Three U.S. officials confirmed to the Associated Press that the State Department will soon revoke currently valid passports of parents who owe over $2500 in child support back payments, based on its “own initiative” and with the help of HHS data. While the changes have not yet been publicly announced, the source said that the changes to the Passport Denial Program will come in tiers, starting with passport holders with more than $100,000 in child support debt.

Less than 500 people are included in this group, but once the threshold is lowered, changes could affect thousands of U.S. citizens overall. In a statement sent via email, the State Department said it “is reviewing options” to enforce the 30-year-old Passport Denial Program, which was established under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.

Source: Thousands Of Americans Warned Of Passport Cancellations As State Department Reinforces 30-Year-Old Law

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Trump administration working to expand effort to strip citizenship from foreign-born Americans

2026/02/13 Leave a comment

No issue with revocation for fraud and misrepresentation but with the Trump administration unlikely to stop there:

“We maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards fraud in the naturalization process and will pursue denaturalization proceedings for any individual who lied or misrepresented themselves,” he said. “We will continue to relentlessly pursue those undermining the integrity of America’s immigration system and work alongside the Department of Justice to ensure that only those who meet citizenship standards retain the privilege of U.S. citizenship.”


Trump administration officials are looking for shortcuts to speed up the process, the two people familiar with the plans said. USCIS officials have concluded that dedicating staff members, either by sending experts or by training them across the agency’s 80-plus field offices nationwide, would be more effective in rooting out more cases than the previous Trump effort, headquartered in a warehouse in Pasadena, California, they said.


The Justice Department has already told attorneys to focus on denaturalization cases, and it has offered possible case examples, from “individuals who pose a risk to national security” or who have engaged in war crimes or torture to people who have committed Medicaid or Medicare fraud or have otherwise defrauded the government.


There is also a broad catch-all provision that refers to “any other cases … that the division determines to be sufficiently important to pursue.”


Often the cases go on beyond a presidential administration. According to Justice Department figures, the Trump administration won 86 cases during Trump’s first term. During the Biden administration, 54 cases were won….

Source: Trump administration working to expand effort to strip citizenship from foreign-born Americans

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Ontario Liberals opt to allow temporary residents to vote in leadership race even though federal counterpart barred them

2026/02/13 2 Comments

Sigh… Canada has relatively accessible citizenship. Voting rights are an essential aspect and this measure, as in the case when the federal liberals allowed this, further diminish citizenship:

Over the weekend, the Ontario Liberals released the long-awaited rules for the party’s leadership race such as fundraising targets and the deadline to register as a member to vote.

But unlike the federal Liberals’ leadership election, no changes were made to who could cast a ballot, meaning non-citizens and people in Canada on student or work visas are all eligible, per the party’s constitution.

The 2024 public inquiry into foreign election interference said China, one of three countries flagged for attempting to interfere in Canada elections, uses international students, as well as diplomatic missions, community organizations and private individuals, to “carry out its transnational repression activities.”

The inquiry said China targets members of Chinese Canadian diaspora communities for the “purposes of repression, influence and forced return of targeted individuals” to its territory.

Michelle Tessier, who served as Deputy Director of Operations at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) from 2018 to 2023, said candidate selection and leadership contests were identified during the inquiry as particularly vulnerable points in the political system.

“I do think it’s concerning,” Tessier said of parties continuing to allow non-citizens to vote in internal leadership races.

She pointed to the inquiry’s findings around the difficulty of verifying residency and the increased risks associated with transnational repression, where foreign nationals may face coercion or threats from hostile state actors.

“In terms of the vulnerability around being able to confirm somebody’s residence, the risk of foreign nationals being subject to transnational repression, which is, you know, the coercion or threats, to have them to vote a certain way. Now, granted that can happen to Canadians citizens as well who may have family overseas. (…) but it does increase the vulnerability,” she said.

“Given that it was indicated in the recommendations of the commission, it would certainly be encouraging to see steps being taken to follow those recommendations,” she added….

Source: Ontario Liberals opt to allow temporary residents to vote in leadership race even though federal counterpart barred them

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“Les parents de Jack Letts, détenu en Syrie, veulent revoir leur fils”

2026/02/10 Leave a comment

Seeing less coverage in English language media than in previous years. Parental nightmare:

“En 2019, en raison du risque qu’il poserait à la sécurité du pays, Jack, qui est né et qui a grandi au Royaume-Uni, s’est fait déchoir de sa citoyenneté britannique. Il ne lui reste que sa citoyenneté canadienne, obtenue par filiation. À l’époque, Ottawa avait déploré que Downing Street se soit « déchargé de ses responsabilités ».

Depuis, le gouvernement canadien refuse de rapatrier Jack, comme tous les autres ressortissants canadiens soupçonnés d’avoir combattu avec Daech. En 2023, la Cour d’appel fédérale avait donné raison à Ottawa en précisant qu’il n’existait pas de « droit absolu » permettant de contraindre l’État à rapatrier ses citoyens afin de « les soustraire aux répercussions de leurs actions ».

Sally Lane espère qu’Ottawa révisera sa position à la lumière des récents développements. Si Jack est traduit en justice en Irak, il risque de subir un procès expéditif et partial, pourrait être contraint de passer aux aveux sous la torture et être condamné à la peine de mort, craignent ses parents.

“« Les abus du système judiciaire en Irak sont bien connus », mentionne Mme Lane. « J’espère que l’attention médiatique va réellement forcer le gouvernement canadien à agir [en le rapatriant], ce qu’il a refusé de faire jusqu’à présent. » Jack pourrait ensuite subir un procès ici, soutient John Letts.

Depuis des années, les autorités kurdes et états-uniennes réclament que les détenus étrangers retournent dans leurs pays d’origine. « Je pense que les Américains utilisent ces transferts comme une technique de rapatriement sous haute pression. C’est la manière qu’ils ont trouvée pour forcer les pays réticents à rapatrier leurs ressortissants », confie Mme Lane.”

“Extrémisme
Les parents de Jack — qui n’ont pas pu parler à leur fils depuis 2017 — se disent tous deux convaincus de son innocence. Jack, qui s’était converti à l’islam à 16 ans et qui s’est rendu en Syrie à 18 ans, s’est fait arrêter parce qu’il se trouvait dans le territoire contrôlé par Daech, clament-ils.



« Ce n’est pas parce que vous travaillez ou vivez dans l’espace géographique contrôlé par Daech que vous êtes forcément membre de Daech », mentionne son père. Plusieurs médias, qui ont affublé leur fils du surnom de Jihadi Jack, l’ont toutefois dépeint comme un homme ayant été radicalisé.



Sally Lane et John Letts ont eux-mêmes dû faire face à la justice en 2019 pour avoir envoyé de l’argent à leur fils. Ils ont été jugés coupables d’un chef lié au financement du terrorisme, puisque l’argent envoyé aurait pu être utilisé par Daech, a statué le tribunal.”

Source: “Les parents de Jack Letts, détenu en Syrie, veulent revoir leur fils”

In 2019, due to the risk he would pose to the security of the country, Jack, who was born and raised in the United Kingdom, was deprived of his British citizenship. All he has left is his Canadian citizenship, obtained by filiation. At the time, Ottawa deplored that Downing Street had “discharged its responsibilities”.

Since then, the Canadian government has refused to repatriate Jack, like all other Canadian nationals suspected of fighting with Daesh. In 2023, the Federal Court of Appeal ruled in favor of Ottawa by specifying that there was no “absolute right” to force the State to repatriate its citizens in order to “subtract them from the repercussions of their actions”.

Sally Lane hopes that Ottawa will revise its position in light of recent developments. If Jack is brought to justice in Iraq, he risks an expedited and biased trial, could be forced to confess under torture and be sentenced to death, his parents fear.

“The abuses of the judicial system in Iraq are well known,” says Ms. Lane. “I hope that the media attention will really force the Canadian government to act [by repatriating it], which it has refused to do so far. “Jack could then face a trial here,” says John Letts. For years, the Kurdish and American authorities have been demanding that foreign prisoners return to their countries of origin. “I think Americans are using these transfers as a high-pressure repatriation technique. This is the way they have found to force reluctant countries to repatriate their nationals, “says Ms. Lane.”

“Extremism

Jack’s parents – who have not been able to talk to their son since 2017 – both say they are convinced of his innocence. Jack, who converted to Islam at the age of 16 and went to Syria at the age of 18, was arrested because he was in the territory controlled by Daesh, they claim.

“It is not because you work or live in the geographical area controlled by Daesh that you are necessarily a member of Daesh,” says his father. Several media outlets, which gave their son the nickname Jihadi Jack, however, portrayed him as a radicalized man.

Sally Lane and John Letts themselves had to face justice in 2019 for sending money to their son. They were found guilty of a charge related to the financing of terrorism, since the money sent could have been used by Daesh, the court ruled.”

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