The debate over birthright citizenship – the automatic granting of citizenship to anyone born in Canada is heating up.
Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner has called for an end to the policy, arguing that it is being exploited through birth tourism and asylum loopholes. Garner warned that Canada’s “post-nationalist, mass immigration philosophy” has devalued citizenship and could disrupt the nation’s social balance if not reformed.
She pointed out that millions of temporary residents and undocumented individuals are already in the country and that birth tourism has reached record levels. Garner urged the government to follow the example of countries like the UK and Germany, which grant citizenship only when at least one parent is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
This proposal comes amid rising public pressure to rethink immigration policies, particularly around housing, population growth, and border management.
If implemented, such a change could redefine what it means to be Canadian, marking one of the most significant shifts in immigration and citizenship policy in decades.