Speaking Notes - Statement from the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, on citizenship issues

Ottawa, Ontario, January 24, 2007

With the recent need to have a passport to fly to the United States, some people have questions about proving their citizenship, and some erroneous reports in the media have heightened people’s concerns. I wish to address these concerns.

In almost all cases, anyone who was born in Canada is a Canadian citizen.

Some people are discovering that, having lived in Canada most of their lives, they do not have citizenship. These cases deserve immediate attention and so I am making these individual cases a priority. I will use the powers available to me as Minister under the Citizenship Act to resolve these cases as quickly as possible. I have directed my department to deploy the resources necessary to do so.

While these steps are being taken, we will do whatever is necessary to ensure that these individuals will not experience any interruption in government benefits such as health care coverage or OAS payments.

While these cases are being reviewed, these individuals can rest assured that they can remain in Canada.

If you have any questions on your citizenship status you can find information on our department’s website, or you can phone our call centre at 1 888 242-2100.