Government receives fourth extension to fix unconstitutional ‘Lost Canadians' issue
OTTAWA – The federal government has received a fourth extension to pass legislation to grant citizenship to 'Lost Canadians' after the existing law was ruled unconstitutional.
'Lost Canadians' is a term applied to people who were born outside of the country to Canadian parents who were also born in another country.
In 2009, the Conservative federal government of the day changed the law so that Canadians who were born abroad could not pass down their citizenship unless their child was born in Canada.
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled in late 2023 that the law was unconstitutional and the government agreed with the ruling.
The government introduced citizenship legislation meant to remedy the issue in March 2024 — one month before the original deadline — but the bill did not pass before Parliament was dissolved.
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The government applied for a one-year extension but Justice Jasmine Akbarali set a deadline of Nov. 20, 2025 at 11:59 p.m., saying that should be enough time for the next government to implement 'remedial legislation' if it makes it a 'priority.'
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2025.
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