Harney Lecture Series
Weighing Connections and Finding Lost Canadians: A panel Discussion on Citizenship and the Government of Canada's Proposed Bill C-71
October 10, 2024 | 4:00PM - 6:00PM
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In-person
This event is taking place in the Boardroom, 315 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON
Who belongs to the political community? How do we determine who has a connection to Canada?
In December 2023, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice declared that key provisions of the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent is unconstitutional. In May 2024, the Government of Canada introduced Bill C-71 to make the citizenship process as fair and transparent as possible. Bill C-71 would:
- Automatically remedy the status of any person already born who would have been a citizen were it not for the first-generation limit; and
- Establish a new framework for citizenship by descent going forward that would allow for access to citizenship beyond the first generation based on a substantial connection to Canada.
What is the role of time in establishing this “substantial connection”? Which other considerations, if any, should be taken into account when determining the intergenerational transfer of citizenship? How can we ensure that families living abroad have the freedom to choose where to live, study, and work while protecting their children’s entitlement to Canadian citizenship?
This panel, organized by the Harney Program in Ethnic, Immigration and Pluralism Studies, will address these pressing policy matters. Panel participants will include a senior government official from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) as well as leading Canadian and International experts to discuss key questions about citizenship and its transmission, both now and in the future.