Story perspectives

Canada Orders Hundreds of By-Descent Citizens Return Certificates

6/17/2026

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Summary

Canada Requests Returns

On June 13, Canada’s immigration department mailed letters to recent citizenship-by-descent recipients asking them to surrender certificates.
The notices cite subsection 26(1) of the Citizenship Regulations and target applications using documents or lacking explanations for missing records.
The review does not revoke citizenship; certificates are returned if entitlement is confirmed.
Bill C-3, effective Dec 15 2025, produced 4,075 certificates by Mar 31 2026, including 1,955 to U.S.-born applicants, and prompted lawyers to estimate several hundred surrender notices.

Summary

Canada Suspends Citizenship

A mass suspension of issued citizenship certificates was announced, which Valerie Campbell called a “blind panic.”
Immigration lawyer Lisa Middlemiss warned the unprecedented suspension could trigger a wave of court challenges.
Vancouver lawyer Amandeep Hayer said such suspensions have only been used for permanent-resident fraud, not citizenship certificates.
Recipients in the United States expressed anger, while those already in Canada fear losing work, school and government services.

History

Historical Context

The 1976 Citizenship Act, which came into force on 15 February 1977, gave IRCC authority to cancel citizenship obtained by fraud, false representation or concealment and, for the first time, allowed children to acquire nationality from their Canadian mothers. The Supreme Court later affirmed that power. Bill C-3 now re-activates the same tool, focusing on U.S.-born applicants and sparking new legal challenges.

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Canada Requests Returns

On June 13, Canada’s immigration department mailed letters to recent citizenship-by-descent recipients asking them to surrender certificates.
The notices cite subsection 26(1) of the Citizenship Regulations and target applications using documents or lacking explanations for missing records.
The review does not revoke citizenship; certificates are returned if entitlement is confirmed.
Bill C-3, effective Dec 15 2025, produced 4,075 certificates by Mar 31 2026, including 1,955 to U.S.-born applicants, and prompted lawyers to estimate several hundred surrender notices.

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