Conservatives recently debated amendments to Canada's Citizenship Act, citing concerns about population growth straining housing and social services. Critics warn of a potential influx of an “unknown number” of new citizens globally, despite Liberal assurances about the changes.

“Conservatives oppose aspects of this bill, because it cheapens Canadian citizenship, undermines fairness, and exposes taxpayers to enormous risk,” Conservative MP Dan Mazier said during second reading of the bill. “We don’t even know what the extent of the risk is, because there’s no analysis done.”

The remarks concern Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025). If passed, C-3 would extend citizenship beyond the first generation, if the parent lived in Canada for three years before the child's birth.

Meanwhile, Liberals countered it would reunify families and provide justice for “lost Canadians.”

Liberals to grant citizenship to 'unknown number' of foreigners with new bill

Bill C-3 amends the Citizenship Act, granting citizenship beyond the first generation to children born abroad.

Full details with @WestCdnFirst: https://t.co/UJKXONZyy3

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) June 6, 2025

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Ontario's Superior Court struck down the first-generation limit as unconstitutional two years ago, though it was still enforced due to a suspended ruling. A similar Liberal bill (C-71) failed to pass in May 2024.

The Citizenship Act limits citizenship by descent to the first generation born abroad. A Canadian citizen parent can only pass on citizenship to a child born outside Canada if the parent was born or naturalized in Canada before the child's birth.

After the 2006 Lebanon War, which cost $94 million to evacuate 15,000 Lebanese-Canadians, a law limited automatic citizenship to the first generation born abroad. Many evacuees retained Canadian citizenship despite returning to Lebanon.

Liberal Bill c-3 will offer an easy way for foreign children of Canadians who themselves weren't born in Canada, obtain Canadian citizenship!

See my defence of our precious 🇨🇦 passport. pic.twitter.com/H5ltZxpZvC

— Roman Baber (@Roman_Baber) September 21, 2025

Mazier claimed the safeguard against “Canadians of convenience” would be removed and replaced by a “weak” Substantial Connection Requirement. This would only necessitate parents proving 1,095 non-consecutive days in Canada before birth, without a criminal background check.

An earlier version of this legislation was estimated by the Parliamentary Budget Officer to create 115,000 new Canadian citizens living abroad, Mazier observed.

Illegal immigrants in Canada could number 500,000, says Migrant Rights Network executive director Syed Hussan.

He adds it's "crucial" to give these people paths to permanent residency, in the name of "equality and fairness."https://t.co/TXq29qhTJo pic.twitter.com/Gic8nTrHAr

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) May 28, 2024

The Tories clarified their backing of two parts of Bill C-3: streamlining citizenship for adopted children, which Mazier called a “simple and reasonable approach” for equal treatment, and restoring citizenship to “lost Canadians” affected by a flaw in the Section 8 of the Citizenship Act. 

However, Mazier stated Conservatives cannot support the “poorly thought out” Liberal legislation and will propose improvements to strengthen citizenship.

Liberal MP Stéphane Lauzon stated the bill recognizes Canadians' continued connection to the country, wherever they are, and strengthens social cohesion.

A briefing note, Undocumented Migrants, estimates 500,000 people reside in Canada without status, including illegal immigrants and those who exhausted appeals. Additionally, 4.9 million people with visas expiring between September 2024 and December 2025 are expected to leave voluntarily.