canadian citizenship: from “harder to get and easier to lose” to a new balance

8/20/2019 Canadian Citizenship: From “Harder to get and easier to lose” to a new balance

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2/23

Agenda

• Policy context

• Statistics

• 2010 Changes and impact

• 2014 Changes and expected impact

• 2016 Adjustments and expected impact

• Longer-term implications

2


3/23

Government Context

Conservative

• Fearless advice and loyal

implementation breakdown

• Ministerial certainty vs.“arrogance of the expert”

• Ideological/values divide

• Evidence and anecdote

Liberal

• Openness to advice, trust in

public service

• More open style, internal andexternal

• More aligned ideology/values

• Evidence-based emphasis

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4/23

Policy ContextGlobal vs Local

• Citizenship: Facilitation vs. Meaningfulness

• Multiculturalism: Accommodation vs. Integration

• Conservatives stress meaningfulness (value),integration

• Liberals stress facilitation and accommodation(diversity and inclusion)

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5/23

Citizenship Take-upForeign-born by Place of Birth, Eligible, 2011 NHS

5

Europe

Southern Asia

Latin America

Africa

East and SE Asia

West Central Asia, Mid-East

Caribbean

United States

Oceania

625,000 1,250,000 1,875,000 2,500,000

Canadian Only Dual Nationals Non-Citizens


6/23

CitizenshipVisible Minorities, Eligible or Not, 2011 NHS

6

Total VisMin

Southeast Asian

Black

Chinese

South Asian

Japanese

West Asian

Arab

Latin AmericanFilipino

Korean

Not VisMin

25% 50% 75% 100%

Canadian only Dual nationals Non-Citizens


7/23

PRs, Applications, Citizens2004 to 2015 IRCC Operational Data

7

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015*

Permanent Residents Applications New Citizens

* Jan-Sep


8/23

Citizenship Take-Up6 Years Since Landing vs All Years Since Landing 2015

20%

40%

60%

80%

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

6 Years Since Landing All Years Since Landing8


9/23

Citizenship TestMonthly Pass Rates

9

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

N o v 1 0

D e c 1 0

J a n 1 1

F e b

1 1

M a r

1 1

A p r 1

1

M a y

1 1

J u n 1 1

J u l 1

1

A u g 1 1

S e p 1 1

O c t 1

1

N o v 1 1

D e c 1 1

J a n 1 2

F e b

1 2

M a r

1 2

A p r 1

2

M a y

1 2

J u n 1 2

J u l 1

2

A u g 1 2

S e p 1 2

O c t 1

2

N o v 1 2

D e c 1 2

J a n 1 3

F e b

1 3

M a r

1 3

A p r 1

3

M a y

1 3

J u n 1 3

J u l 1

3

A u g 1 3

S e p 1 3

O c t 1

3

N o v 1 3

D e c 1 3

J a n 1 4

F e b

1 4

M a r

1 4

A p r 1

4

M a y

1 4

J u n 1 4

J u l 1

4

A u g 1 4

S e p 1 4

O c t 1

4

N o v 1 4

D e c 1 4

J a n 1 5

F e b

1 5

M a r

1 5

A p r 1 5

M a y

1 5

J u n 1 5

J u l 1 5

A u g 1 5

S e p 1 5

O c t 1 5

N o v 1 5

D e c 1 5

Monthly Rate 6 Month Moving Average

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015


10/23

Impact 2010 ChangesPercentage Decline by Country of Birth

2010-13 and 2014 Compared to 2005-9 UPDATE IF POSSIBLE

Caribbean

South Asian

Southern & East African

West Asian & Mid-East

Central & West African

Latin American

North African

East & SE Asian

South European

East European

Oceania

FrenchWest European

British

North American

North European

-20% -15% -9% -4% 2%

Percent Change 2010-13 from 2005-9 Percent Change 2014 from 2005-910

Overall Pass Rates

2005-9 96.3%

2010-13 82.7%

2014 90.3%


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Changes 2010

• Emphasis on history, military,responsibilities

• More rigorous knowledgetest

• Language “pre-assessment”

• Anti-fraud

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12/23

2014 Citizenship ActResidency and Testing

• Longer residency (4 out of 6), physical presence

•

From “honour system” to residencyquestionnaire

• “Intent to reside”

• Knowledge and language required 14-65

• Tax returns

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13/23

2014 Citizenship ActBusiness Processes

• Removal of citizenship judges

• Ability to cancel incomplete applications

• Electronic means to verify citizenship.

• “Soft” commitment one year processing

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14/23

2014 Citizenship ActFairness

• “Lost Canadians” fix

•

Fees from $100 to $530, plus language testing(~ $200)

• Revocation

• Fraud: Ministerial discretion

• “Terror and Treason” and dual nationals

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15/23

Implications Conservative

Changes• Burden on low-income, less educated and

refugees

• Further reduction in naturalization rate

• Weaker due process

• Revocation measures meant differentialtreatment for single and dual nationals for thesame crime

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16/23

Liberal Changes 2016Adjustments, not full repeal

• Principle: “A Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian ”

• Repeal revocation for dual nationals for terror or treason

• Remove barriers

• Restore the previous age limits for knowledge and languagetesting to 18-54 (~ 10 percent of applicants)

• Repeal the “intent to reside”

• Restore pre-permanent residency time 50 percent credit

• Maintain physical presence but reduce time required to 3 out of5 years

• New Citizenship Study guide (replace Discover Canada)

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17/23

Liberal Changes 2016 (2)Integrity

Maintain Conservative integrity improvements

• Physical presence, not just legal residency

• Knowledge requirement met in English or French, not through an interpreter

• Bar granting citizenship to those with foreign criminal charges and convictions

• Regulations for citizenship consultants

•

Increased fines and penalties for fraud• Ministerial authority to revoke citizenship for routine cases (previously, had been Governor in Council)

• Ministerial authority on discretionary grants of citizenship (previously, had been Governor in Council)

• Departmental authority to decide what is a complete application (streamlines processing)

• Single-step citizenship processing (previously was three-step), reduced role for citizenship judges

• Requirement for adult applicants to file Canadian income taxes

New integrity measures

• No longer counting time spent under a conditional sentence order towards meeting physical presence• Retroactive application of prohibition of applicants from taking oath if never met/no longer meet requirements

• Authority to seize fraudulent documents of those used fraudulently

Other

• No change to “lost Canadians” provisions

• Fast-track mechanism for Permanent Residents serving in the Canadian Forces

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18/23

Gaps

• Review of citizenship fees

• Refugee waiver?

• Lack of service standards

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19/23

Other

• No machinery change (wise)

• Experienced and knowledgeable minister

• Lower relative priority of citizenship vsimmigration and refugees

• IRCC organizational structure

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20/23

Implications Liberal Changes

• Revocation repeal ensures consistent treatment for all

• Removal of testing for 55-64 greater impact than

14-17

• Reduced residency requirement small impact

• More welcoming approach (inclusive language incitizenship study guide and related materials)

• No weakening of integrity

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21/23

Broader Issues

• Dual nationality, diaspora politics and loyalty

• Global mobility vs. belonging — competitiveness

• Declining naturalization rate and increasedproportion of non-citizens

• Other: Voting rights, Birth tourism

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22/23

Overall

• Conservative integrity improvements with Liberalfacilitation measures

• Restoring the Diefenbaker policy of not strippingCanadians of citizenship

• Common language on ‘real and meaningful’commitment to Canada

• Should reverse declining naturalization rate

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23/23

Andrew Griffith

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @andrew_griffith

LinkedIn: andrewlgriffith

Facebook: Andrew Griffith C&M

Blog: www.multiculturalmeanderings.wordpress.com

Books: lulu.com
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/a232griffithhttp://www.multiculturalmeanderings.wordpress.com/https://www.facebook.com/pages/Andrew-Griffith-CM/399580920161782http://ca.linkedin.com/in/andrewlgriffithhttps://twitter.com/Andrew_Griffithmailto:[email protected]?subject=

canadian citizenship: from “harder to get and easier to lose” to a new balance

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