US citizens are fleeing to Canada in droves to escape Trump: what reasons do they give?
This is according to CBC News.
Previously, Canadian citizenship by descent was limited to the first generation born abroad. The courts ruled this rule unconstitutional and struck it down. Now, it is possible to become a Canadian on the basis of ancestry even several generations back. Bill C-3 has opened the way for those whose relatives left the country as far back as the 1800s.
In the first three months alone, the Canadian IRCC issued 4,075 certificates under the new provisions. Demand for passports continues to grow daily, and lawyers are struggling to keep up with the new applications.
The main driver of this process has been the political situation in the US. Many Americans view a Canadian passport as a reliable ‘back-up option’. They fear the situation in the country will deteriorate in the near future.
Montreal-based immigration lawyer Lisa Middlemiss confirms this trend. She says:
“The vast majority of our clients are Americans. In some cases, it is because they would like to have a fallback option in case, in their opinion, the situation worsens… in other cases, it is because they see this as a matter of urgency.”
Among the main reasons cited by applicants are:
- protecting the rights of children who are gay or transgender;
- fears that Donald Trump’s administration will reinstate the military draft;
- the desire to have the right to move freely to Canada in the event of a crisis.
Geography of new citizens by origin
The United States confidently tops the list of countries where people are seeking Canadian roots en masse. The government has already approved 1,955 applications from people born in the US. Mexico came in second place with 900 successful applications. The UK is represented by 140 people who were able to prove their right to a passport.
In total, under the simplified rules, certificates have been issued to people from 44 countries worldwide. Meanwhile, under the old rules for first-generation citizens, a further 13,310 people have had their citizenship confirmed. This demonstrates a global interest in Canada’s stability.
Documents and bureaucratic hurdles
Obtaining a passport under the new rules is not straightforward. Applicants must provide clear evidence of their ancestry. This requires a search for the birth and marriage certificates of their ancestors. Such documents are often found in the archives of Ontario or Quebec.
Quebec government spokesperson Catherine Poulin reported that since January alone, they have received 3,800 requests for archival documents from foreign nationals. This has caused significant delays in the work of civil services, and the waiting time for citizenship confirmation has risen from five to twelve months.
Currently, the number of unprocessed applications at the Canadian IRCC stands at over 70,000. The bureaucratic machine is trying to adapt to the new realities, the article concludes.
What else is worth knowing about Canada
Canada has recently changed its rules for refugees. Ukrainians will now have to pay for certain medical services out of their own pockets.
It is also worth giving extra thought to emigrating to Canada, as you need to be aware of the country’s main drawbacks. It turns out that Canada is not ‘beautiful Europe’.
Follow us on Telegram
