Canada Urged To Freeze Immigration To Clear Citizenship
A report argues Ottawa must pause economic immigration to redirect resources to processing a 140,000-application backlog of 'Lost Canadians' waiting up to
The federal government is being urged to freeze economic immigration intake to address a massive backlog in citizenship certificate processing. Nearly 140,000 "Lost Canadians" are waiting up to 33 months for paperwork confirming their citizenship-by-descent under Bill C-3.
A Legal Obligation, Not a Discretion
The report states that issuing a citizenship certificate is a mandatory legal duty, unlike immigration visas which ministers can cap or pause. It argues the government is failing this statutory obligation by not adequately staffing the department. The source claims the required resources exist if Ottawa simply caps immigration levels, pointing to the 2026 target of 239,800 economic immigrants across federal, provincial, and pilot pathways as an area that could be paused.
Economic and Social Rationale
From an economic perspective, clearing this backlog is presented as more sensible than recruiting new global talent. The affected group, primarily U.S.-based descendants of historic families from Quebec, Ontario, and the Maritimes, shares deep ancestral and cultural ties to Canada. The report contends those who move would assimilate quickly into the labour market, bypassing credential-recognition bottlenecks that slow other skilled workers.
"Clearing this backlog will simultaneously satisfy Canada’s economic needs to attract international students, help combat declining enrolments in publicly funded schools and fill labour shortfalls," the report states, citing estimates from CTV and PBS that the eligible demographic numbers in the millions.
Charter Rights at Stake
The delays are framed as a constitutional crisis. A 33-month wait for a Bill C-3 confirmation is described as triggering severe breaches of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The report references the 2023 Bjorkquist decision, which was meant to dismantle decades of arbitrary restrictions, arguing that administrative stonewalling now nullifies that legislative remedy.
More critically, it highlights Section 6 of the Charter, which guarantees mobility rights. A citizenship certificate is the prerequisite for a passport. By trapping applicants in this bottleneck, the report argues Ottawa is effectively withholding passports and preventing the exercise of fundamental Charter rights. "Bureaucratic failure and understaffing cannot legally justify the ongoing suspension of a citizen’s fundamental rights," the source concludes.
A Call for Action
The report calls for immediate action before the Federal Court intervenes. It demands a reallocation of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's processing capacity to fulfill duties under Bill C-3 over the next one to two years. It also suggests a pause on discretionary immigration would allow policymakers to restore public trust and rebuild the system based on actual economic needs.
When the 2027 immigration levels are announced this fall, the report's final position is clear: Ottawa must freeze economic streams and finally hand these citizens their rightful paperwork.
