Senate approves citizenship reform for ‘Lost Canadians’ as advocates raise adoption concerns

Federal legislation designed to address long-standing gaps in Canada’s citizenship rules has cleared the Senate and is expected to become law before a court-imposed deadline early next year. The bill aims to resolve cases involving so-called Lost Canadians – individuals born abroad to Canadian parents who were themselves born outside the country and who lost access to citizenship because of restrictive rules adopted in 2009.

The changes come after the Ontario Superior Court ruled last year that the previous one-generation limit on citizenship by descent was unconstitutional. Under the updated framework, citizenship could be passed to children born overseas if a parent has lived in Canada for a cumulative three years prior to the child’s birth or adoption.

During Senate debate, Saskatchewan Senator David Arnot highlighted that the legislation does not address the situation of internationally adopted children who grow up in Canada but later have children abroad. He argued that those families would still face barriers to passing on citizenship despite having deep ties to the country.

Arnot ultimately chose not to seek amendments, noting that any changes could jeopardize meeting the January 20 deadline set by the court. However, he called on the federal immigration minister to revisit the issue and consider further reforms that would ensure intercountry adoptees receive equal treatment under citizenship law.