OTTAWA — Immigration Minister Lena Diab says having a Canadian ancestor does not guarantee someone is eligible for Canadian citizenship.
Diab was pushed in question period today to state how many people got their citizenship using inaccurate documents after an unknown number of people who received citizenship certificates under a new law received letters from the government over the weekend demanding they surrender them.
Under a law passed last year, people born before Dec. 15, 2025 can claim Canadian citizenship if they can prove they have a Canadian ancestor.
Diab says people looking to prove citizenship through descent need to do so at every generation — and information culled from genealogy websites is not enough.
The letters from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada say the recipients did not provide evidence from original source authorities or did not submit written explanations and evidence of their attempts to obtain those documents.
Some people who have received these surrender letters say they already have moved to Canada or received passports and do not know what happens now if their status has changed.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2026.
David Baxter, The Canadian Press
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