Birthplace No Guarantee of Citizenship in Canada

[JOE]

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/birthplace-no-guarantee-of-citizenship-feds/ar-BBN2ixQ?ocid=ientp">http://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/bi ... ocid=ientp">http://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/birthplace-no-guarantee-of-citizenship-feds/ar-BBN2ixQ?ocid=ientp

OTTAWA - International law does not require Canada to give citizenship to babies born on its soil, the federal government is telling the Supreme Court — an argument that could inadvertently bolster a recent Conservative party resolution aimed at stemming so-called birth tourism.



Canada is one of fewer than three dozen countries that follow the practice of citizenship based on birthplace and some — including Australia and Britain — have modified or ended automatic birthright in recent years, the government says in a case that will determine whether the Toronto-born sons of Russian spies are Canadian citizens.



"Indeed, no European countries, for example, grant an unqualified automatic citizenship by birth and they have no obligation to do so," the federal submission says.



"Only 34 countries grant the automatic acquisition of citizenship through birthplace regardless of parents' nationality or status. This practice is not consistent and uniform enough to ground a rule of customary international law."



The federal Liberals adopted a decidedly different tone recently after the Conservatives passed a policy resolution calling on the government to enact legislation to end birthright citizenship "unless one of the parents of the child born in Canada is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada."



Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer says one of the goals is to end the practice of women coming to Canada simply to give birth to a child that will automatically attain Canadian citizenship.



Refugee and human rights advocates have objected, saying there is no evidence of a birth tourism problem to solve and that the Conservative policy would open the door to stateless children being born in Canada.



Mathieu Genest, a spokesman for Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen, said following passage of the resolution that it's a "shame to see the Conservatives going back down the path established by the Harper government, which seeks to strip away the citizenship of people who have only ever known Canada as a home."



Justin Trudeau's principal secretary, Gerald Butts, called the Conservative policy "a deeply wrong and disturbing idea."



However, the federal submission to the Supreme Court strongly suggests the notion of automatic birthright is not carved in legal stone.



It notes even those states that have chosen to grant citizenship to children born on their soil are not prohibited from applying exceptions. "A review of citizenship entitlements in various countries reveals a multitude of variations and restrictions on automatic citizenship by birth."



Federal lawyers play down the concept of automatic citizenship in laying out the reasons the government believes Alexander and Timothy Vavilov — the offspring of Russian intelligence agents — should not be recognized as Canadian citizens, even though they were born in Ontario. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in December.



"In short, nothing in international law requires Canada to bestow citizenship on the basis of birth, much less to give citizenship to children born to parents in the service of a foreign government," the written federal submission says.



Two years ago, the government took a rosier view of the concept in a formal response to a petition against birthright citizenship sponsored by Conservative MP Alice Wong.



John McCallum, immigration minister at the time, pointed out that the United States and Mexico, as well as a number of other countries in the Americas, such as Brazil and Argentina, provide citizenship based on birthplace.



"While there may be instances of expectant mothers who are foreign nationals who travel to Canada to give birth, requiring that a parent be a citizen or permanent resident in order for their child to acquire citizenship through birth in Canada would represent a significant change to how Canadian citizenship is acquired," McCallum added.

[Anonymous]

Of course international law does not require any country to give citizenship to any eight and a half month pregnant scammer.

[cc]

Exactly. And It is something badly in need of extinction

[Wazzzup]

At least one parent should have to be a citizen for a child to be a citizen.



Its utterly ridiculous.  People trespass into the US without permission, have their baby here, then the baby is a citizen and the mother is allowed to stay.

[Anonymous]

The reason I was a Canadian citizen at birth is because of birthright citizenship.

 ac_blush

I went back to Taiwan with my mother a month later.

[Bricktop]

We've dumped it.

[Berry Sweet]

At least one parent should have to be a citizen for a child to be a citizen.



Its utterly ridiculous.  People trespass into the US without permission, have their baby here, then the baby is a citizen and the mother is allowed to stay.

Same thing in Canada.  They have birthing homes in Vancouver specifically for these people.  Mostly Asian.  A lot of them dont pay the hospital Bill's.  The government knows about them but I have no idea why they dont shut them down?

[JOE]

The reason I was a Canadian citizen at birth is because of birthright citizenship.

 ac_blush

I went back to Taiwan with my mother a month later.

But I think when you were born, the world population was 3.5 to 4 billion?



Of course now its double that and the problem of refugees & citizenship birthing will only get worse.



So the government will eventually have to put its foot down and change the laws more along the line of britain or Australia.



Otherwise the immigration system will get overrun.

[Anonymous]

At least one parent should have to be a citizen for a child to be a citizen.



Its utterly ridiculous.  People trespass into the US without permission, have their baby here, then the baby is a citizen and the mother is allowed to stay.

Same thing in Canada.  They have birthing homes in Vancouver specifically for these people.  Mostly Asian.  A lot of them dont pay the hospital Bill's.  The government knows about them but I have no idea why they dont shut them down?

As long  as we have birthright citizenship, those places will be there.

[Anonymous]

The reason I was a Canadian citizen at birth is because of birthright citizenship.

 ac_blush

I went back to Taiwan with my mother a month later.

But I think when you were born, the world population was 3.5 to 4 billion?



Of course now its double that and the problem of refugees & citizenship birthing will only get worse.



So the government will eventually have to put its foot down and change the laws more along the line of britain or Australia.



Otherwise the immigration system will get overrun.

What the hell does that matter. Birthright citizenship should not exist and as Berry pointed out, it creates an industry around this flaw in our system.

[Chuck Bronson]

Same thing in Canada.  They have birthing homes in Vancouver specifically for these people.  Mostly Asian.  A lot of them dont pay the hospital Bill's.  The government knows about them but I have no idea why they dont shut them down?

Vancouver/Richmond has sold out to China ages ago, and that's why they won't do anything about it.



Look around, the next time you're in Vancouver/Richmond proper.  Try to time it so you see when an Elementary school/High school ends for the day.



Look at the kids leaving.  99.9% Chinese.  And not ONE can speak English if they're younger.



I have nothing against the Chinese.  They aren't a 'problematic' people.  Regardless, Vancouver is an example of what happens when we open the floodgates...  It is now a Chinese city.

[Chuck Bronson]

If you travel South on the 99, just South of Richmond, there is an overpass.  You can see the faint outline of big block letterings that was cleaned off after it was spray painted on it.



That outline has been on that overpass for as long as I can remember.  And still is to this day if you look...



"STOP THE ASIAN INVASION"

[Anonymous]

At least one parent should have to be a citizen for a child to be a citizen.



Its utterly ridiculous.  People trespass into the US without permission, have their baby here, then the baby is a citizen and the mother is allowed to stay.

Same thing in Canada.  They have birthing homes in Vancouver specifically for these people.  Mostly Asian.  A lot of them dont pay the hospital Bill's.  The government knows about them but I have no idea why they dont shut them down?

They are advertised in China.