In Ottawa, legislation presented in the House of Commons on Thursday will grant Canadians born overseas the ability to transmit their citizenship to their children born abroad.

The legislation, introduced by Immigration Minister Marc Miller, seeks to address loopholes that have resulted in individuals known as “lost Canadians” — individuals with connections to the country but unable to transfer their citizenship to their children.

In 2009, under adjustments implemented by the Conservative government led by Stephen Harper, Canadians born abroad were restricted to passing citizenship only to children born in Canada. This alteration stemmed from incidents during the 2006 war between Lebanon and Israel when Ottawa evacuated individuals who, despite lacking personal ties to Canada, demanded assistance solely based on their parents’ connections to the country.

Miller emphasized the necessity of regulations governing citizenship, emphasizing the importance of fairness. “Canadian citizenship is undoubtedly esteemed and acknowledged globally. We aim for citizenship to be equitable, accessible, with clearly defined and transparent regulations,” he stated.

Under the new regulations, Canadian citizens born abroad can transmit their citizenship if they have accumulated a total of three years residing in Canada. Additionally, the legislation will grant automatic citizenship rights to children born since 2009 who were impacted by the adjustments made by the Conservative government.

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