Canada's new Bill C-3: How ‘Lost Canadians,' Indian diaspora may finally reclaim citizenship
By amending the Citizenship Act and addressing long-standing restrictions on citizenship by descent, Bill C-3 is set to provide a revolutionary change in Canada's citizenship regulations.
For the Indian diaspora and other immigrant communities, this legislative action is especially important since it aims to address the issues experienced by "Lost Canadians" and extend citizenship rights beyond the first generation born outside.
According to the existing Citizenship Act, Canadian citizens can only give their citizenship to children born outside of Canada if they were born in Canada or became citizens before the child was born.
This "first-generation limit" has inadvertently kept many people from obtaining citizenship, especially those whose parents were also foreign-born and lived in Canada. As a result, many persons of Indian and other ethnic backgrounds have been left without a clear path to citizenship, despite having family in Canada.
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Key provisions of Bill C-3
Bill C-3, which was introduced by Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab, intends to remove the first-generation limit, enabling Canadian residents to provide citizenship to their children who are born or adopted overseas, regardless of where they were born.
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The bill states that the Canadian parent must have been physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 cumulative days (three years) prior to the child's birth or adoption in order to guarantee a true connection to Canada.
The measure also aims to grant citizenship back to "Lost Canadians"—people who were denied citizenship or lost it as a result of out-of-date provisions in earlier legislation.This includes those affected by the earlier Section 8 of the Citizenship Act, which had stringent requirements that led to unintentional exclusions.
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This legal amendment will have a substantial positive impact on the Indian community. The elimination of generational barriers will strengthen relationships and give their descendants simpler paths to citizenship, especially considering the large number of Indian-origin people living in Canada and their international family ties. This is particularly relevant given the difficulties Indians encounter in other nations, like the US, where immigration laws have gotten stricter.
For Bill C-3 to become law, it must undergo the standard legislative process, including three readings in Parliament and receiving royal assent. Given the positive reception from immigrant communities and experts, there is optimism about its eventual enactment. Once passed, the bill will not only rectify past oversights but also reinforce Canada's commitment to inclusivity and recognition of its diverse populace.
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Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Buyer with ties to Chinese Communist Party got VIP treatment at Trump crypto dinner
The Trump White House has repeatedly sounded an alarm about visitors with ties to China's Communist Party coming to the United States, arguing that they are a potential security threat. But the administration appears to have literally left the door open to a member of a Chinese government group when it went along with a plan to give the biggest purchasers of President Donald Trump's digital currency access to the president and the White House. Trump launched a so-called meme coin, a type of cryptocurrency, just days before his inauguration. To bolster sales, the president's business partners created a contest in April, offering the coin's top buyers a tour of the White House and a private dinner with Trump at his Virginia golf club. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If You Eat Ginger Everyday for 1 Month This is What Happens Tips and Tricks One of those buyers was He Tianying, who is a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, according to government documents in China examined by The New York Times. That government group, referred to as the CPPCC, is an advisory body that seeks to broaden the Communist Party's influence and solicit support from influential people in Chinese society. Live Events He, who was registered at the Trump event as a resident of Hong Kong, advises the Chinese government through his role as a delegate of the Fangshan CPPCC, a district of Beijing. He is listed as a member of the organization's science and technology committee. The Times could find no indication that He is a member of the Communist Party, and the government body he serves on is fairly low-level. Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories There were no restrictions on who could buy the Trump meme coin -- which was marketed like a collectible baseball card -- including foreign nationals. But the winning buyers were given the opportunity for close proximity to the president. It is not clear why He wanted to attend. Still, at a time when the administration is seeking to scrutinize and revoke the visas of Chinese students with ties to the Communist Party, the incident illustrates inconsistencies in the Trump administration's approach to how it handles Chinese nationals, as well as potential weaknesses in the background checks the Trump administration did on the guests who bought his meme coin. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said in an interview that the dinner was a private event and that government officials were not closely involved. "As the White House has always maintained, this was not an official White House event," she said. Once a crypto skeptic, Trump has done an about-face and declared himself a digital coin enthusiast, raising ethical concerns and blurring the line between his personal business ventures and the presidency. His family's company has issued its own cryptocurrency, and he has also heavily promoted the meme coin, known as $TRUMP. The meme coin dinner engendered strong criticism from Democrats, government watchdogs and even some Republicans about the appearance of monetising the presidency for personal gain. The event was arranged by the president's business partners to directly enrich the first family, even as Trump spoke that evening behind a stand emblazoned with the presidential seal. Bidders competed to accumulate the largest holding of the coin over several weeks. The top 220 won a dinner with Trump, and the top 25 also got a "VIP" tour of the White House. The buyers used self-adopted nicknames that disguised their identities, but the Times obtained copies of several pages of an official sign-in sheet for the dinner and over the past two weeks has been examining the biographies of many of the attendees. He, using the nickname Sky, owned $3.7 million worth of the meme coin, public transaction records show, at the time the contest ended. He was ranked as the seventh-largest buyer of the cryptocurrency, which entitled him to a gold-colored VIP wristband for the event. The day after the dinner at Trump's golf club, He was observed by a reporter from the Times entering the White House for the tour that had been set up by Trump's business partner Bill Zanker, who created the Trump meme coin. Zanker and the Trump family share in the revenues from the meme coin business, which has already totaled at least $320 million, according to an estimate by Chainalysis, a crypto forensics group. After the tour, He, using a social media account under his Sky pseudonym, posted a series of photos from the dinner and White House tour, which he electronically modified to cover his face. The Times was able to establish his identity through publicly available information, including photos and biographical information on his company website. He made several waves of purchases during the three weeks of the meme coin contest, according to the transaction records. "May I have the pleasure?" he wrote in one social media post, showing off his standing as one of the top owners of the meme coin, several days before the contest ended. He declined to comment as he entered the White House, and he did not respond to follow-up emails, calls and text messages from the Times. The dinner invitation sent to He stands in contrast to the statement Trump issued Wednesday, arguing that his administration needed to urgently move to block visas for certain Chinese nationals, including those attending Harvard University, as "the Chinese Communist Party has sent thousands of midcareer and senior bureaucrats" to the United States. He said this order was for "crucial national security reasons." A senior White House official, who asked not to be named because of the sensitive nature of the matter, said this week that the presence of He at the dinner and White House tour was unfortunate and that overall, the meme coin dinner had created unnecessary questions. But the White House official added that it had occurred because Trump "carelessly committed" to his longtime friend and business partner Zanker that he would be a part of it. The official added that Trump was not notified who would be attending and was unaware of He's background. Supporting the party The mission of the Fangshan District division of the CPPCC, which lists He as a member, is to "uphold the overall leadership of the Communist Party of China and strengthen the common ideological and political foundation," the group says in describing one of its meetings this year. CPPCC committees are advisory bodies to China's rubber-stamp legislatures at the national, provincial and, like Fangshan, district or county levels. Members can make policy recommendations to the legislative bodies, called People's Congresses. These committees are part of the Communist Party's United Front system, which is devised to co-opt broad segments of the population, including entrepreneurs like He, into supporting and carrying out the party's policies. The CPPCC bodies also act as networking clubs. "When you are a CPPCC member, you are expected to be a part of the United Front system and carry the water where the party asks you to," said Peter Mattis, the president of the Washington-based Jamestown Foundation who studies the United Front. The Times turned up documentation on Chinese government websites showing He's participation in the CPPCC group, as well as an attendance list for the committee's gathering in Beijing in January that included He's name. Chinese government records show that He is the majority owner of a Beijing-based investment firm, TechSharpe (Beijing) Capital Management Co., which says on its website that it uses artificial intelligence to "conduct quantitative investment in stocks." Recently, He has also promoted a crypto firm called LuckyFuture and has interacted on social media with Changpeng Zhao, the founder of the giant crypto exchange Binance. In a social media post, responding to an inquiry from the Times, Zhao said he learned about LuckyFuture after He reached out to him in the last few weeks. (A Binance spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.) He came to the United States from China about a decade ago to get a master's degree in finance at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, before returning to China and becoming active in the CPPCC, which is noted in his TechSharpe biography. This made He just the kind of student Trump is now targeting. But there was no hint of those kinds of fears in gracious invitations sent via email in mid-May to the dinner guests. "Congratulations!" said the notice sent to He, with a photo illustration of a muscular, smiling Trump at a dinner table, with an American flag on his lapel. "We can't wait to see you at the Gala Dinner." (He posted a copy of these emails on his social media account.) A table of foreign visitors According to a video taken at the dinner, the VIPs at just one table illustrated how many of the guests had traveled from overseas, including from China. He's dining companions included Justin Sun, a Chinese-born billionaire who was the contest's single largest buyer and one of the largest investors in the Trump family's other crypto venture, World Liberty Financial. Sun also has experience as a CPPCC member. In 2016, he was named as a delegate for a committee in a district in Guangzhou, a city in southern China. Only 26 at the time, he was among the youngest people in the country to sit on a CPPCC body. "I feel that the responsibility is very heavy, and I must strive to adapt to the new role as soon as possible," Sun was quoted in state media as saying at the time. (His representatives did not respond to a request for comment.) Also seated at the table were Cheng Lu, a Singapore-based crypto investor, who told the Times in an interview outside the White House that he bought a large amount of the family's meme coin because he wanted a chance to privately meet with Trump. Sheldon Xia, the founder of BitMart, a cryptocurrency trading platform backed by China-based Fenbushi Capital, joined them at the table, along with Sangrok Oh, the CEO of Hyperithm, a Seoul- and Tokyo-based firm that manages digital assets for institutional investors. Guests invited to the dinner were "required to fill out a brief form as part of the security background check to gain entry to the event," according to an email sent to the winners. The questionnaire was created with a service called CryptoComply offered by the New York-based firm Canaria Consulting. It requested information such as name, date of birth and place of residence. The 25 top Trump meme coin holders had their names submitted to a background check system called White House Worker and Visitor Entry System, a government official told the Times. This system compares the names of the pending visitors with government databases that include terrorist watch lists and lists of known criminals. "The U.S. Secret Service is responsible for vetting all White House visitors and guests, and we fully trust their process in doing so," Leavitt said. Some guests at the dinner said they were surprised at how lax the security appeared at the event. People not on the guest list were in certain cases allowed to enter the golf club grounds that evening and remain there after Trump arrived, the Times also confirmed. "I expected more from the security questions," said Nicholas Pinto, a Florida resident and crypto trader who attended the dinner. "It was very basic. And next thing you know, I am standing there in the room with President Trump."
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
'RCB has lakhs of cricket fans': Letter to Karnataka govt shows warning was issued before stampede; new revelation puts pressure on administration
BENGALURU: A senior police officer had raised red flags over the lack of security personnel and potential crowd control issues just hours before a stampede killed 11 people outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL victory celebration on Wednesday. According to official letter accessed by the TOI, MN Karibasavana Gowda, who oversees legislature security, issued a written warning to the state government on the morning of the event. In a letter addressed to G Sathyavathi, Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, Gowda cautioned against holding a felicitation at the Vidhana Soudha due to anticipated large crowds and insufficient police deployment. 'RCB has a fan following nationwide and lakhs of cricket fans will come to Vidhana Soudha if we organise a programme on the grand steps. Since there is a shortage of security personnel, making bandobust arrangements will be a problem,' the officer wrote. This fresh revelation now puts further pressure on the state govt, which is already in the eye of a storm for allegedly prioritising optics over public safety. Fallout and resignations The revelation has intensified public scrutiny of the Karnataka government, which is already facing criticism for allegedly prioritising optics over safety during the celebrations. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 임플란트 최대 할인 지원해드려요 임플란터 더 알아보기 Undo On Saturday, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) announced that it had accepted the resignations of two of its senior officials—Secretary A Shankar and Treasurer E S Jairam—who stepped down, taking moral responsibility for the tragedy. The decision was taken at an emergency meeting convened by KSCA president Raghuram Bhat. 'They placed a letter of resignation in front of the committee, which was accepted after acknowledging the work they have done over the last two and half years,' Bhat told reporters. While Bhat did not disclose the names of interim replacements, sources said MS Vinay and Manjunatha Raju are the frontrunners for the roles. The current managing committee's term ends on September 30, with elections due in October or November. Legal action and investigation An FIR has been registered against the KSCA in connection with the stampede. Bhat said the association would fully cooperate with ongoing investigations. 'It is a very delicate issue. When the appropriate time comes, I myself will call all of you and give detailed information,' he said, adding that some senior police officials had visited the KSCA office during the day as part of the investigation process. 'We have already informed the government and the honourable High Court that we will cooperate fully with the enquiry. We will never shy away from anything.' Bhat ruled out dissolving the entire managing committee despite mounting pressure. 'Nothing of the sort. The game must go on, and that is why the emergency meeting was held. Rest all is fine at the moment,' he said. Bengaluru stampede The stampede, which occurred as lakhs of cricket fans gathered to celebrate RCB's first IPL title win, left 11 dead and 75 injured. The incident triggered outrage and raised serious questions about event planning, crowd management, and safety oversight by both the state administration and KSCA.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Germany reaffirms strong support to India in fight against terrorism: FM Wadephul
Germany reaffirmed its strong support and solidarity with India in the fight against terrorism, Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told an Indian parliamentary delegation that outlined New Delhi's resolve to not give in to nuclear blackmail by Pakistan. As the delegation visited the European country, it conveyed to German political and diplomatic leadership India's unwavering united stand for zero-tolerance for terrorism, especially in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. The delegation, led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, concluded its visit to Germany on Saturday (June 7, 2025), with the Indian Embassy stating that New Delhi's firm and principled position against terrorism 'found resonance across the top political leadership, decision-makers and think-tanks — reinforcing depth of the India-Germany Strategic Partnership.' Earlier on Friday evening, the delegation called on Minister Wadephul, who, building on his recent meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, 'condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and reaffirmed Germany's strong support and solidarity with India, in the fight against terrorism,' said a post on X by the Indian Embassy in Berlin. Both sides 'discussed ways to further strengthen & deepen multi-faceted India-Germany Strategic Partnership and reiterated their commitment to a rule-based international order, based on shared democratic values,' it added. 'We underscored the significant threat terrorism poses to democracy, humanity, and human rights, and expressed grave concern over Pakistan-sponsored terrorism,' MR. Prasad said on X after the meeting. 'Emphasising the need for collective action, we stressed that democratic nations must unite to counter this menace.' The discussions also focused on enhancing and deepening the multi-faceted India-Germany Strategic Partnership, built on a shared commitment to upholding a rules-based international order rooted in democratic values, he added. The delegation had earlier interacted with key members of the German Bundestag (MdBs) in charge of foreign and security policy, such as Jurgen Hardt, Foreign Policy Spokesperson of CDU, and Tilman Kuban, as well as leading think-tanks in Germany. 'They emphasised India's message of zero-tolerance against terrorism. The delegation conveyed that India's response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack had been precise, measured and non-escalatory. They also explained India's clear position that there is no differentiation between terrorists and those who aid or shelter them,' the Indian Embassy said. During an interaction with leaders and key representatives of the Indian community in Germany, the multi-party parliamentary delegation appreciated the support and solidarity shown by the Indian diaspora in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack. 'The participants observed two-minute silence in solemn memory of the victims and pledged to remain united against the menace of terrorism,' the Indian Embassy said in another post on X. Mr. Prasad said the Indian community in Berlin displayed "immense enthusiasm, drawing inspiration from India's growth story and its unwavering stance against terrorism". "Our visit to Germany was highly successful, with Germany strongly condemning terrorism. Across the six countries we visited, we received great respect and our concerns were given a hearing. #OperationSindoor," he said in an X post. Earlier in the day, the delegation met the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German Parliament 'Bundestag', Armin Laschet, and lawmakers Ralph Brinkhaus and Hubertus Heil here. 'Grateful for today's exchange with the Indian All-Party Parliamentary Delegation. Germany and India share a trusted partnership, especially on global security. We also discussed the brutal 22 April terrorist attack in Pahalgam. I'm deeply shocked. Germany stands with India in the fight against terrorism,' Mr. Laschet said. 'Now it's vital the ceasefire holds and dialogue continues. Peace serves us all,' he said in a post on X. The delegation "conveyed India's unwavering united stand for Zero Tolerance for Terrorism and outlined its resolve to not give in to nuclear blackmail. Leaders noted momentum in India-German Strategic Partnership and joint role in ensuring global Peace and Security," the Embassy of India in Berlin said in a post on X. The delegation leaders 'noted momentum in India-German Strategic Partnership and joint role in ensuring global Peace and Security,' the Embassy of India said in a post on X. The Indian team also held a productive interaction with Omid Nouripour, Vice President of the German Parliament, and deeply appreciated Berlin's strong and unequivocal support for India's principled stand against terrorism. 'They conveyed India's firm response to Pahalgam terror attack and briefed about #OperationSindoor, reiterating the country's zero tolerance for terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,' the India mission said. The delegation arrived in Berlin on Thursday from Belgium to convey India's stance. India's Ambassador to Germany Ajit Gupte welcomed the delegation and briefed its members on India-Germany ties, with a focus on expanding strategic partnership and growing cooperation in trade and investment, defence, S&T and mobility. A statement from the Indian Embassy here said that the delegation interacted with senior members of the German Parliament (Bundestag) active in the fields of foreign policy and international affairs and a leading think-tank in Germany, the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) on day one. Ending the day's engagements, the delegation also had an interaction with representatives from leading German think-tanks and eminent personalities at a reception hosted by Ambassador Gupte, the statement said. The delegation includes MPs Daggubati Purandeswari, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Ghulam Ali Khatana, Amar Singh, Samik Bhattacharya, M Thambidurai and former minister of state M J Akbar and former diplomat Pankaj Saran. In an X post, delegation member Ms. Chaturvedi said that she finished the visit with a sense of satisfaction that "India stands together, resolute in its fight against terrorism". She thanked senior officials of the governments of the countries that the group travelled for "unequivocally condemning terror". The delegation is one of the seven multi-party delegations India has tasked to visit 33 global capitals to reach out to the international community to emphasise Pakistan's links to terrorism. Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the Pahalgam terror attack, with India carrying out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7. The on-ground hostilities from the Indian and Pakistan sides that lasted for four days ended with an understanding of stopping the military actions following talks between the directors general of military operations of both sides on May 10.
