The Carney government is facing backlash over a bill that would grant Canadian citizenship to the grandchildren of citizens living abroad, with critics accusing Immigration Minister Lena Diab of eroding the meaning of national identity.Blacklock's Reporter says Bill C-3, An Act To Amend The Citizenship Act, was introduced in response to a 2023 Ontario court ruling that struck down a law limiting citizenship to the first generation of children born outside Canada. The legislation would extend citizenship to second-generation descendants of Canadians abroad, provided their parents spent at least 1,095 days in Canada within the previous five years.“This is not an immigration bill,” said Diab. “The goal is to ensure that the children of Canadians with a strong connection to our country can access citizenship by descent regardless of where they were born.”Conservatives say the move goes too far. .“I think it was a mistake not to appeal that court decision,” said Conservative MP Grant Jackson (Brandon–Souris, Man.). “The national identity is constantly under threat. I don’t understand the concept of citizenship that goes on and on with multiple generations who have no connection to this country and, in many cases, have never been here.”The original limit on citizenship by descent was introduced after Canada spent $75.8 million evacuating more than 13,000 dual citizens from Lebanon during the 2006 Beirut conflict.Conservative MP Michael Ma (Markham–Unionville, Ont.) said the new bill ignores the lessons of that episode. .“Liberals do not believe in Canada because they do not believe in our borders,” said Ma. “They want to hand out the privileges of citizenship abroad while offloading the costs on those who actually live here.”The Parliamentary Budget Office estimates Bill C-3 would create roughly 115,000 new citizens abroad. Statistics Canada says more than four million Canadians already live outside the country.Conservative MP Jamil Jivani (Bowmanville–Oshawa North, Ont.) said the bill undermines public confidence in the immigration system. “The idea that our heritage is being used to justify broken policies is wild,” he told the Commons. “We reject the weaponization of our heritage. We reject Liberal racism.”
