Canadian Citizenship“Harder to get and easier to lose"

Andrew Griffith Association of Canadian Studies/

Canadian Ethnic Studies Association Conference

24 October 2015

Agenda

• Policy context

• Statistics

• 2010 Changes and impact

• 2014 Changes and expected impact

• Longer-term implications and transition advice

2

Conservative Government Context

• Fearless advice and loyal implementation breakdown

• Ministerial certainty vs. “arrogance of the expert”

• Sharper ideological/values divide

• Evidence and anecdote

• Centre of gravity and priorities

3

Policy Context Global vs Local

• Citizenship: Facilitation vs. Meaningfulness

• Multiculturalism: Accommodation vs. Integration

• Shift towards meaningfulness and integration

4

Citizenship Take-up Foreign-born by Place of Birth, Eligible

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 2,500,000Canadian Only Dual Nationals Non-Citizens

Citizenship Visible Minorities, Eligible or Not

6

Total VisMin

Southeast AsianBlack

ChineseSouth Asian

JapaneseWest Asian

Arab

Latin AmericanFilipinoKorean

Not VisMin

25% 50% 75% 100%

2%37%32%30%28%25%24%20%19%18%14%22%

Canadian only Dual nationals Non-Citizens

PRs, Applications, Citizens 2004 to 2014

7

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Permanent Residents Applications New Citizens

Citizenship Take-Up 6 Years Since Landing vs All Years Since Landing 2014

20%

40%

60%

80%

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

49%

57%62%

67%71%73%

76%79%79%

47%44%50%

56%

6 Years Since Landing All Years Since Landing8

Citizenship Test Monthly Pass Rates

9

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Nov 10

Dec 10Ja

n 11

Feb 11

Mar 11Apr 1

1

May 11Ju

n 11Ju

l 11

Aug 11

Sep 11Oct

11

Nov 11

Dec 11Ja

n 12

Feb 12

Mar 12Apr 1

2

May 12Ju

n 12Ju

l 12

Aug 12

Sep 12Oct

12

Nov 12

Dec 12Ja

n 13

Feb 13

Mar 13Apr 1

3

May 13Ju

n 13Ju

l 13

Aug 13

Sep 13Oct

13

Nov 13

Dec 13Ja

n 14

Feb 14

Mar 14Apr 1

4

May 14Ju

n 14Ju

l 14

Aug 14

Sep 14Oct

14

Nov 14

Dec 14Ja

n 15

Feb 15

Mar 15Apr 1

5

May 15

Monthly Rate 6 Month Moving Average

2011 2012 2013 2014

Impact 2010 Changes Percentage Decline by Country of Birth

2010-13 and 2014 Compared to 2005-9

CaribbeanSouth Asian

Southern & East AfricanWest Asian & Mid-EastCentral & West African

Latin AmericanNorth African

East & SE Asian South European

East EuropeanOceania

FrenchWest European

BritishNorth AmericanNorth European

-20% -15% -9% -4% 2%Percent Change 2010-13 from 2005-9 Percent Change 2014 from 2005-9

10

Overall Pass Rates

2005-9 96.3%

2010-13 82.7%

2014 90.3%

Changes 2010

• Emphasis on history, military, responsibilities

• More rigorous knowledge test

• Language “pre-assessment”

• Anti-fraud

11

2014 Citizenship Act Residency and Testing

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

• From “honour system” to residency questionnaire

• “Intent to reside”

• Knowledge and language required 14-65

• Tax returns

12

2014 Citizenship Act Business Processes

• Removal of citizenship judges

• Ability to cancel incomplete applications

• Electronic means to verify citizenship.

• “Soft” commitment one year processing

13

2014 Citizenship Act Fairness

• “Lost Canadians” fix

• Fees from $100 to $530

• Revocation

• Fraud: Ministerial discretion

• “Terror and Treason” and dual nationals

14

Radicalization Examples Dual vs Canadian Nationality

15

Dual Nationals Canadian Only

Canadians charged by the RCMP but still at large

Ferid Ahmed ImamAhmad WaseemMaiwand YarHasibullah Yusufzai

Canadians reported to be fighting or supporting extremists abroad, but not charged

Mohammed AliSami ElabiUm m HarithaOmar HassanMohammad IbrahimAbu Dujana al-MuhajirFarah Mohamed Shirdon

Collin GordonGregory GordonJohn Maguire

Canadians accused of possible terrorist links by other countries

Faker BoussoraAbderraouf JdeyAmer El-MaatiAbu Ameenah Bilal Philips

Recent trials Hiva Alizadeh Misbahuddin Ahmed(revocation proceedings initiated)

John NuttalAmanda KarodyCarlos LarmondAshton Larmond

Implications

• Burden on low-income, less educated and refugees

• Further reduction in naturalization rate

• Weaker due process

• Challenges to revocation as unconstitutional likely

16

Broader Issues

• Dual nationality, diaspora politics and loyalty

• Global mobility vs. belonging — competitiveness

• Declining naturalization rate and increased proportion of non-citizens

• Other: Voting rights, Birth tourism, Niqab ban

17

New Government Rebalancing (1)

• Preserve increased integrity and efficiency measures • Citizenship test question rotation • Physical presence for residency • Language assessment • Filing Canadian tax return • 1 stop decision-making model • abandoning incomplete applications

• Early symbolic changes • Reduce fees from $530 to $300 • Cancel Court revocation proceedings for dual nationals

• Administrative changes

• New Citizenship Study guide (replace Discover Canada)

• Set and report on service standards (one-year)

18

New Government Rebalancing (2)

• Legislative changes

• Abolish “intent to reside” provision

• Restore pre-Permanent Resident time half-credit

• Revisit requirement for 14-17 years olds to be tested for knowledge and language

• Revisit citizenship decision making model (restoring GiC/Court role or allowing for oral hearings)

• Remove revocation provisions for dual nationals for terror or treason

19

Other

• Machinery change unlikely (unadvisable)

• Strong or weak minister?

• Relative priority of citizenship vs immigration and refugees

• CIC organizational structure

20

Andrew Griffith Email: agriffith232@gmail.comTwitter: @andrew_griffithLinkedIn: andrewlgriffithFacebook: Andrew Griffith C&MBlog: www.multiculturalmeanderings.wordpress.com