When I first heard about a newly proposed addition to Bill C-24, which received Royal Assent in June of last year, I wasn’t worried. In a country that is one of the world leaders in tackling human rights issues, how would this provision of the existing bill even stand a chance? Perhaps that was too quick of a conclusion for me to draw, as a change to Bill C-24 was passed quietly.

As of May 29th, millions of Canadians had their citizenship wordlessly downgraded to the so-called “second class” category. This is especially ironic since Canada itself was founded based off of the assimilation and killing of the land’s indigenous peoples. Anyone who was not born in Canada, are eligible to apply for another citizenship (meaning that people born in Canada could be classified as second-class), or currently hold a dual citizenship, could see their citizenship stripped if convicted of serious crimes relating to terrorism, both in Canada and off-shore. The most concerning part is the inability for them to appeal and be tried under the Canadian judicial system. A person who was born in Germany yet holds Canadian citizenship, for example, could be deported for being convicted of the same crime that a “first-class” citizen has committed. The German-born citizen would not be allowed to appeal the decision to a Canadian judge, whereas the first-class citizen doesn’t face deportation and will be tried by the Canadian judicial system.

For those unaware, Bill C-24 was introduced by the current citizenship and immigration Minister, Chris Alexander, as a response to the heightened terrorist activities that have captured the attention of the government. The original bill made it harder to obtain a Canadian citizenship, and the newest provision makes it easier to lose it. Prior to Bill C-24’s passing, individuals applying for citizenship between the ages of 18-54 had to pass a knowledge test. This age group has been expanded to cover ages 14-64 and adult citizenship applications have seen a $200 increase from $100. This is just to name a few of the major highlights of this bill-turned-law, also known as the “Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act”.  However, the newest addition to this law makes it difficult for me to see it that way.

My family immigrated to Canada in 2007 after almost 9 years of waiting. My parents had applied to immigrate before I was even born. We officially became Canadian citizens in 2010, something that had always been in my parent’s plans since we arrived. With that, my entire family, including a brother born in 2009, were now Canadian citizens with our rights protected under The Charter. Five years later, my family feels well integrated into Canadian society. If you were to ask us about our citizenship, there is no doubt that we would all proudly state we were Canadian, probably with a grin on our faces. It’s definitely no wonder why the passing of the newest provision to Bill C-24 rattled us and challenged all we thought we knew about Canada.

This change has made me wonder whether this was the best way to combat terrorism, or just the most convenient one in the eyes of government bureaucrats.  When will they realize that citizenship holds symbolic value too? How would you like being considered less of a citizen in your own country? I definitely find it degrading to people who have left their homes, families, and all they have known behind to start a new and fulfilling life as a Canadian. In an era that has just begun to accept diversity, the thing that makes Canada so unique from others, this new piece of legislation threatens to create a further social and political divide. I also have a hard time seeing how the bill in itself will end terrorism. Sure, less potential terrorists are likely to become citizens, but that doesn’t stop the reality of the situation; people do not need to be a citizen of a country to commit an act of terrorism against it. The judicial system will probably see less terrorism-related cases, but is that really worth undermining the citizenship of millions?

In order to get a fuller sense of what others had to say about Bill C-24, I also asked some other YAA bloggers what their opinions are on the newest provision. Here’s what they had to say:

“I personally believe that the intention of preventing terrorism is done out of sincerity and protection, but to classify citizens by saying some are first-class or second-class citizens starts to cause segregation and may lead to discrimination. People coming from other places in the world are already being acculturated and are sacrificing their culture to live in the modern day society today; by placing more conditions on them and creating clear differentiation between the so called “first class and second class citizens” just adds to the pressure.”

– Malika Daya

“It seems to have good intentions in its nature, but the lack of constitutional oversight and the lax interpretation of threats that could present itself lends to the overall fear of the law…. It seems like a scare tactic to keep shady immigrants in check, but it only winds up hurting the Second generation immigrants. Not only that, the language of “second-class” creates a rift in our diverse culture that is built upon the fundamental idea of equality. It would be better if it had narrower definition of “second class”, excluding those who’ve spent a large amount of time living in Canada, or were born here.”

– Eddy Gu

“While we’re at it, why don’t we also create racially separated washrooms and increase the wage gap, all in the name of “security”? I personally believe that the government shouldn’t be allowed to pass such an obscene bill. I understand that collective security is important, but segregating people to achieve this security is crazy. Why should one person’s citizenship be worth less than another’s? Canada is one of the most diverse countries in the world, the whole point of this diversity is so that everyone (no matter race, religion, country or origin, etc.) can embrace freedom and equality. In the country that I know and love to be Canada, there’s no first-class or second-class Canadians… Ultimately, this bill will do little for security but serve more as a dividing wedge between the citizens of this country.”

– Davinder Mahli

“In my opinion, the passing of Bill C-24 enhances the poor legacies left by imperial powers in the past. Taking the Raj (British sovereignty in India) as an example, the British made Indians second-class citizens in their country, which led to increased poverty after the British left. Although that is only one event, the idea of citizens feeling inferior in the country they made their home resurfaces. Especially for a country that celebrates multiculturalism, the bill does not embrace this aspect.”

– Kandace Peroramas

 

“These “provisions” are simply unconstitutional… the very sentiments of segregating citizenship automatically degrades the worth of those individuals who have provided and sacrificed to and for Canada, as any other citizen has pledged to do. As a member of an immigrant family, I have seen the adversities that my mother has overcome in order to become a citizen of this country. Why should these efforts be forsaken and not be held to the same class of those who were merely born here? The essential problem with Bill C-24 lies within the fact that it creates a second class tier for all non-Canadian born citizens. Thus, causing vulnerabilities for discrimination upon the diverse groups that make up this country. Furthermore, it stigmatizes these “second-class citizens” as being more acclimated to commit terrorist acts… Citizenship is more than just about the nation one was born in. Citizenship is the foundation of the people who work to foster their country. The rights of citizenship should not be denounced to a second-class standard because of the actions of a few individuals. I am not saying that those who have practised illiberal acts of terrorism against our country should not face consequences. However, they should be dealt with by the criminal laws and judicial process in place in this country, instead of at the hands of bureaucrats and politicians.”

– Rebecca Yang

 

“How can the country that stands for freedom, equality, and diversity pass an act that directly discriminates against a majority of the population? My parents and I currently aren’t citizens, but my parents are just now applying for it after 12 years of living in Canada and I’m pretty sure that this act will severely hinder the already too-long and arduous process. Okay, sure, protect us from the terrorists. But is taking away the citizenship rights of those of us who are completely innocent, contributing members of our community going to change anything?… The only word I have to describe this is: ridiculous. Such a shame that the Canadian government has lost sight of what this country stands for. If you haven’t signed the petition yet, here it is: https://www.change.org/…/hon-chris-alexander-pc-mp… and they still need about 50,000 signatures, so please spread the word.“

– Ailin Li

 

The passing of Bill C-24 defied my understanding and certainly left me disillusioned about the work of the government and the value of possessing a Canadian citizenship. The Canada that I grew up in and love is not one where an individual’s citizenship is worth less than someone else’s.

All opinions unless otherwise stated are my own. 

Sources:

http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/what-dual-citizens-need-to-know-about-bill-c-24-the-new-citizenship-law-1.2426968

http://www.sfu.ca/education/cels/bilingual/bilingual-corner/bill-c-24.html