Birth tourism undermines the value of Canadian citizenship

Conservatives propose ending birthright citizenship for children born in Canada to temporary foreign workers or students.

Michelle Rempel Garner, an economist and former rising star in the Conservative Party, has been a strong advocate on the intersection of unconstrained immigration and the economy. This issue has frequently been raised within the Chinese expat community, especially in Kenny Chu and Alice Wong's former ridings in British Columbia.

Conservatives propose ending birthright citizenship for children born in Canada to temporary foreign workers or students. This addresses "birth tourism," a concern, especially in Lower Mainland hospitals, where foreign nationals allegedly exploit the system to gain Canadian citizenship for their children, then use it to sponsor family. 

This issue was prominent at a 2018 or 2019 Conservative convention, driven by Chinese-Canadians in Richmond, B.C., who felt it undermined traditional immigration processes.

Former Liberal Immigration Minister Marc Miller claims that conservatives want to end birthright citizenship to incite sentiment against non-native-born Canadians. 

Miller disagrees with getting rid of birthright citizenship, citing the Constitution and court cases. He notes the Citizenship Act lacks a clear definition of citizenship, leading to discussions about passing on citizenship without connection to Canada. 

While Bill C-3 proposes a rational cut-off, he argues that ending birthright citizenship entirely is "ridiculous" and could retroactively affect children with Canadian ties. Miller suspects the proponent's stance is populist, aimed at stirring sentiment against non-native born individuals.

Years later, valid policy questions are met with accusations of racism, which is frustrating. He somewhat agreed this approach was flawed, but not on camera. It feels like too little, too late.

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COMMENTS

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  • Bruce Atchison
    commented 2025-10-13 21:38:35 -0400
    Shame on all who game the system. Sure I understand the plight of the poor. That’s not the issue. It’s cheating I object to. Immigrants must enter the legal and proper way. Birth tourism reminds me of somebody opening the back door of the theatre so friends can sneak in to see the movie for free.
  • Bernhard Jatzeck
    commented 2025-10-13 03:18:24 -0400
    Citizenship in this country is treated not as an honour or privilege, but as an entitlement. I’ve been a citizen for just over 60 years and, back then, one had to wait a decade before qualifying.

    A few months before he died, John F. Kennedy addressed the people of what was then West Berlin. He reminded them that some 2000 years ago, the “proudest boast”, as he put it, was “Civis Romanus sum.” In the ancient Roman world, not every freeman was a Roman citizen. Those that were had a special status and privilege, but, along with it, responsibilities.