Canada's Immigration Minister Lena Diab orders review of citizenship documents

Immigration Minister Lena Diab announced that the department is investigating a recent issue that prompted emails instructing recipients to surrender their citizenship proof. The minister said she acted as soon as she became aware that "something" had triggered the wave of document recalls.

All 4,100 successful citizenship‑by‑descent claims made under the new law, which allows people born before Dec. 15 2025 to claim Canadian citizenship through a provable ancestor, are being reviewed. The emails were sent to a few dozen individuals who had received citizenship certificates or passports; some were told to surrender their passports, while others later received confirmation that their citizenship remains valid. New applications are on hold, but those already residing in Canada may continue working while the review proceeds.