Immigrant groups fear dual-citizenship review

[GAP]

I have read many comments about this issue during the Lebanon Crisis. Now that things have settled down and things are calmer, what do you think about the issue?

Immigrant groups fear dual-citizenship review
PETTI FONG From Thursday's Globe and Mail
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20061018.wxpassports19/BNStory/National/home

VANCOUVER — A number of Canadian immigrant groups say fear is building in their communities over whether a federal review of dual citizenship will lead to people having to choose which passport to keep.

They say Canadians with dual citizenship will face excruciating personal decisions if the government revokes the practice.

“I think the majority of the members of our community are very concerned,” said Svetlana Litvin, a leader with the Russian-speaking community in Montreal
More on link

 

[043]

What is wrong with having one of your citizenships revoked? Sounds good to me actually. That way the Canadian Government won't be on the dime during the next crisis in Lebanon when all the dual citizenshippers (LOL) are piss moaning about not getting evacuated fast enough.

 

[FredDaHead]

The choice shouldn't be excruciating. They came here on their own volition, didn't they? They applied for citizenship in Canada, didn't they?

Where's the problem?

If their own hellhole of a country is so great they want to keep their old citizenship and go back there until the next crisis, then they don't need Canadian citizenship. On the other hand, if they left their hellhole of a country for a valid reason, then they don't need that citizenship, do they?

 

[sigpig]

Just to be contrary....

My family and I are Canadians who are currently permanent residents in the US. We could apply for citizenship in 3 years. I have no idea how long we will stay in the US; until the kids finish school, until we retire, forever?

If we stay for some time, it would be nice to become citizens to more fully participate in the goings on of the country - ie, voting. At the same time I would never give up my Canadian citizenship. I will always love Canada and having the option to move back is very important.

Note that I would never consider it the responsibility of the Canadian government to do anything for my family while we are residents of another country. If we get crushed by a hurricane I don't expect Ottawa to send a ship or plane for us, we will deal with our local governments just like anyone else here.

I too disagree with the thought that Canadians who chose to live abroad expect the government to bail them out like in the Lebanon situation. Helping tourists or those on business who are caught up in something is one thing, but there should be no reason to have to help those who have chosen to live elsewhere at the current time.

If that can be agreed on then there should be no reason to remove the privilege of having dual citizenships. What would it hurt then?

 

[DBA]

It's not really possible to have other countries change the citizenship status of people based on Canada's wishes or laws. Some countries even have laws that make citizenship not subject to revocation. What Canada can do a bit easier is add requirements and limitations on Canadian citizenship. Like a base tax or surtax regardless of country of residence or revocation if a person acquires landed immigrant status in another country. Multiple citizenship is growing and benefits only a portion of all Canadians sometimes at rather large expense to the public purse. If they wish to be Canadian citizens while living in other countries then they should also contribute to the Canadian tax system in some way in addition to taxes in the country of residence.

 

[GAP]

While in the US military, they insisted that I apply for US citizenship in regards to security clearance. I would not give up my Canadian citizenship, and they told me that dual citizenships were out, so I told them to keep their security clearance. They simply shut up about the citizenship thing, and told me to fix the equipment.

Losing my Canadian citizenship is not an option.

 

[Teflon]

I don't know,... I'm pretty much of the opinion that a person has one nation he/she owes allegiance too. No divided loyalties in the event of poor relations etc, but I am born and bred in the same country that I live and serve same as my entire living family so I have never been in the postion where duel citizenship was even a consideration.  If you moved to Canada, intend to live in Canada, Work in Canada, and only visit your old homeland then be Canadian, if Canada decides to do away with the duel citizen practice then a person will have to make the choice. Well that's my 2 cents anyways.

It's not really possible to have other countries change the citizenship status of people based on Canada's wishes or laws.

Canada can also choose to not recognize one of a duel citizenship persons citizenships, or revoke Canadian citizenship to someone holding another.

 

[William Webb Ellis]

I have dual-citizenship...UK and Canadian, infact it was only near the end of my time in the army that I became a "Canadian". As an aside I was no a Canadian when I went to Yugo..  I am Canadian, only have the UK by birth my parents escaped when I was young (thank god).

However, I will be renewing my passport, and will look into a passport for my kids.  Why?  The world is shrinking.  No longer is it odd to work in other countries, UK/Euro passport opens doors and gives  them more options

 

[FredDaHead]

I too disagree with the thought that Canadians who chose to live abroad expect the government to bail them out like in the Lebanon situation. Helping tourists or those on business who are caught up in something is one thing, but there should be no reason to have to help those who have chosen to live elsewhere at the current time.

What did the pretend-Canadians said when they were bitching to get out of Lebanon? "We are just tourists on vacation!" I don't even think we should help full-blown Canadians who only have this citizenship, when they're stupid enough to go to dangerous places the government explicitly tells them not to go to.

Now, NGOs or businesses in other countries are another thing: it's not like they just packed their bags and said "hmm, let's go to this war-torn country, it sounds like fun!" We should help humanitarian workers or businesspeople caught up in bad situations.

In short: on that point, I think tourists who left after a travel advisory was in effect should have no right to any kind of assistance. If they went to the country and while they were in, a situation developped where they got in trouble, fine. But if the government tells them "don't go" and they go anyway, it's their own problem and they can deal with it.

 

[Kat Stevens]

"Multiple citizenship is growing and benefits only a portion of all Canadians sometimes at rather large expense to the public purse."


  What, exactly, does my dual citizenship cost the Canadian taxpayer?  Other than 23 years of Canadian Army paycheques, of course.

 

[Big Foot]

I will be watching this situation with great interest as I hold dual citizenship. I am Canadian, first and foremost, and I suppose it can be said that I am Irish by convienience. That being said, I am equally proud of my roots, Canadian and Irish. However, if the government says one or the other, I will be a Canadian first. Canada is the country that gave me the opportunity to serve, Canada is the country of my birth and Canada is, and always will be, my home. I've already made my decision for when the government makes theirs; Canada first.

 

[William Webb Ellis]

I will be watching this situation with great interest as I hold dual citizenship. I am Canadian, first and foremost, and I suppose it can be said that I am Irish by convienience. That being said, I am equally proud of my roots, Canadian and Irish. However, if the government says one or the other, I will be a Canadian first. Canada is the country that gave me the opportunity to serve, Canada is the country of my birth and Canada is, and always will be, my home. I've already made my decision for when the government makes theirs; Canada first.

Agreed

 

[warrickdll]

I believe that allowing Canadians to hold multiple citizenships to be a mistake.

There is no practical way to be completely and equally loyal to separate entities with separate agendas. This might not be much of a problem when the cultures are very similar, as in the US or UK, but that is only a happy coincidence - not a demonstration of the soundness of the principle.

What is needed is something more than Permanent Resident (Landed Immigrant) status, with its inherent restrictions on the time allowed outside of Canada, but still less than full citizenship. Maybe give "Honourary Citizenship" a real meaning.

I agree that there are many people who travel and work in many countries; having multiple citizenships helps them do business. But some form of Honourary Citizenship (or whatever it would be called) would solve that problem and stick to the logical principle of 1 person 1 citizenship (Full).

Honourary Citizenship would solve the many problems that would be faced by those who are (hopefully) going to have to decide what their true nationality is.

 

[Kirkhill]

I fall into the same box as Kat, Webb Ellis and Big Foot.  I carry a UK passport for tribal reasons.

 

[Edward Campbell]

There is a problem for some Canadians, including those who have renounced their citizenship of birth.  When they travel to their country of birth it may not recognize their new Canadian citizenship.  It may decide – and some do, I believe, that once a Geffuffian, always a Geffuffian, regardless of what passport one now carries.  I have read/heard that some Canadians have had problems with this.

There is a Canadian citizen named Husein Dzhelil who is currently being held in jail in China – accused of terrorism* – and the Chinese, thus far, refuse to recognize his Canadian citizenship because he cannot produce his Canadian passport – it was seized in Uzbekistan which, subsequently, deported him to China. http://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions_details.asp?ActionID=157

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* His family says he is an Uighur nationalist, by which they mean a separatist.  For the Chinese separatism = terrorism.

 

[Cardstonkid]

What should happen is that Dual Citizenship should be available if the other country is an ally. The term ally could be defined as the gov't wished, but logically it would be countries with a democratic system, a respect for human rights and military/ economic/ cultural connections. In the name of political correctness that will never happen though. Heaven forbid if we recognized that some people come to Canada for the money not for the citizenship.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

My wife is a PR here, as Malaysia will not allow their citizens to hold dual citizenship. She only came here because of me and still has a deep love of her home country but knows that with our daughter her future is here. It would be very difficult for her to give up the citizenship and would likely cause us problems for visiting family. Many people handle dual citizenship responsibly, some however do not.

 

[GAP]

At the same time all this was going on he never renounced his Chinese citizenship, thus, if he cannot produce a Canadian passport and is a Chinese Citizen...then he's theirs. Not saying it right or wrong, but I keep having a feeling not all is being told here, by all parties. Kinda like Cretian and the Kadar rescue.

 

[Edward Campbell]

At the same time all this was going on he never renounced his Chinese citizenship, thus, if he cannot produce a Canadian passport and is a Chinese Citizen...then he's theirs. Not saying it right or wrong, but I keep having a feeling not all is being told here, by all parties. Kinda like Cretian and the Kadar rescue.

I think it is incumbent on the individual who has acquired another, foreign nationality to prove it to the Chinese government, under §9 of the Chinese Nationality Law: http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/ce/ceindo/eng/lsqw/t87388.htm . If he cannot prove it then the Chinese have no way of knowing that he is no long a Chinese national.  Catch 22, sort of.

 

[FredDaHead]

I think it is incumbent on the individual who has acquired another, foreign nationality to prove it to the Chinese government, under §9 of the Chinese Nationality Law: http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/ce/ceindo/eng/lsqw/t87388.htm . If he cannot prove it then the Chinese have no way of knowing that he is no long a Chinese national.  Catch 22, sort of.

Even if he did prove he had Canadian citizenship, he'd still count as a Chinese national, considering he didn't give up that citizenship, wouldn't he? Or maybe I should just go and read the law itself... bah, after supper, I say!