Chris Alexander, Canada’s citizenship and immigration minister and Peter Mackay, Canada’s minister of Justice and Attorney General, reaffirmed the government’s assurance to widen more citizenship rights to “lost Canadians” by means of the proposed measures in the Bill C-24, the new Canadian Citizenship Act.
In the year 2009, the government of Canada had put into action changes that gave citizenship or restored it to some people who had never received it or had lost it due to out-of-date laws that required that they be born before 1947. However, some of the ‘lost Canadians’, for instance, children born abroad to first generation servicemen and war brides were so far not qualified for citizenship of Canada.
The proposed measures in the Bill C-24, Canadian Citizenship Act, comprises of extending citizenship rights to the ‘Lost Canadians’ who were born earlier to the date of the first Citizenship Act, 1947, i.e. 1947, and also to their children (i.e . the first generation of children) who are born outside of Canada.
On the whole, the reforms initiated by the government of Canada to the ‘Citizenship Act’ make sure that the process is faster and efficient for the future citizens of Canada and protect the value of citizenship.
Citizenship will be granted to people dating back to 1st January, 1947 ( or, in the case of Newfoundland, 1st April, 1949), or to persons born after 1st January, 1947, (or 1st April, 1949, in the case of Newfoundland).
Also, those persons naturalized or born in Canada earlier to 1947 who have consequently lost their British subject status and still did not become citizens of Canada on 1st January 1947, would be granted citizenship.
Residents in Canada who were British subjects prior to 1947, but who were not granted citizenships on the 1st of Janaury, 1947, will be granted citizenship.
