Media Release: No Celebration for “Lost Canadians” on Citizenship Week

Vancouver – October 10 – 16, 2016 is Citizenship week. Yet for decades, some Canadians have found themselves rendered stateless due to a number of arcane laws. In a press conference with victims of Canada arcane laws, NDP critic for Immigration, Citizenship, and Refugees, Jenny Kwan stated, “It is absurd that as we celebrate this important occasion, a group of ‘Lost Canadians’ suddenly found themselves without status in Canada. What’s more, it’s 2016, why is Canada persisting with a multi-year court case on the strength of a law that the Supreme Court of Canada has already ruled to unconstitutional?”

Mr. Fadi Yachoua, Attorney to Mr. Kyle Lopez explained, “Kyle’s story is a reflection of the saga that continues because of a discriminatory policy base on gender. Even though the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that there should be no differential treatment between children born to Canadian fathers or mothers, the current Liberal Government is still fighting a multi-year legal battle against Mr. Lopez’s right to assert his Canadian citizenship. “The Prime Minister said he is a feminist. I hope he recognizes that had gender discrimination not existed in the Immigration Act, Kyle Lopez’s father would have been considered a Canadian at birth and he would have been able pass his citizenship on to Kyle. Kyle would not still be in court today fighting for his rights”, said Kwan.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 14, 2016

No Celebration for “Lost Canadians” on Citizenship Week

In the case of Byrdie Funk, a woman who was born abroad to a Canadian parent and has resided in Canada nearly all her life recently found out that she is no longer a Canadian because she turned 28. Funk said: “Canada cannot claim to stand for justice and equality and at the same time ignore the plight of the Lost Canadians. We are your people and we are waiting for this wrong to be made right.”

Don Chapman, a long time advocate on the issue of Lost Canadians said, “I expect that our citizenship laws be fair and equitable - just as Mr. Trudeau promised. Government exists to protect Canadians. We need a Citizenship Act that is Charter compliant but it is not. Not for people like Ms. Funk or Mr. Lopez.”

When asked about “Lost Canadians” while in opposition, now Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at an event in British Columbia that, “Minister Kenney needs to understand that the principles of Canadian citizenship need to be administered with compassion and openness, and he’s simply not addressing these Canadian issues.” Similarly, Minister McCallum stated, "It is a question of principle...We do not need an additional set of rules that would create two classes of citizen."

Unfortunately, those principles didn't apply when MP Kwan attempted to address some of these legislative deficiencies before committee when Bill C-6 was debated. Most of Kwan’s amendments failed. Kwan is now preparing a Private Members Bill to correct these injustices. The Vancouver East MP said, “On Citizenship Week, let’s remember that these decades old unjust legislative laws have real impact on people’s lives. Canada should be fixing and not contributing to the problem of statelessness”.

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iPOLITICS: Carney’s minority Liberals, opposition parties locked in existential impasse as sitting winds down

If the two-time former central bank governor had hopes that would be the beginning of a trend, however, the past three months would have made short work of any such unbridled — or even bridled — optimism.

Leaving aside the supply bills required to authorize pre-approved spending, since the House of Commons reopened for business on Sept. 16, the only government-initiated legislation to make it through a third reading vote was its bid to rejig the rules for recognizing the citizenship of the children of Canadians born abroad, which was introduced in response to a 2023 Ontario court ruling that found the current law to be unconstitutional with a court-imposed deadline of Nov. 21 to be in place before the offending sections would be automatically declared null and void.

Even that, it’s worth noting, wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the New Democrats — particularly B.C. MP Jenny Kwan, who, despite her party’s lack of official status, was nevertheless able to work with the government to reverse a series of changes made at committee by the Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois, which cleared the way for the bill to proceed to a third reading vote — and, ultimately, through the Senate. It was signed into law on Nov. 20, just one day before the existing law was set to expire, although by that point, the court had extended the deadline to Jan. 20, 2026, to allow for an orderly transition.

Click image or link to read the article - https://www.ipolitics.ca/2025/12/10/carneys-minority-liberals-opposition-parties-locked-in-existential-impasse-as-sitting-winds-down/

CPAC: NDP MPs Discuss Liberals’ Border Bill

NDP MPs Jenny Kwan and Leah Gazan hold a news conference on Parliament Hill to discuss Bill C-12, the Liberal government’s border security bill. They are joined by representatives from women’s organizations and advocates for immigrant and refugee rights. (December 9, 2025) (no interpretation)

Click image or link to watch the press conference video - https://www.cpac.ca/headline-politics/episode/ndp-mps-discuss-liberals-border-bill?id=4387467a-f6bc-4914-8f9a-57162568dfc6

Media Release: NDP MPs Join Women’s Organizations and Migrant Rights Advocates Condemning Bill C-12

NDP MPs Join Women’s Organizations and Migrant Rights Advocates Condemning Bill C-12

OTTAWA—NDP MPs Leah Gazan (Winnipeg Centre) and Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East) are standing alongside women’s organizations and migrant rights advocates calling on all Members of Parliament to reject the Liberals’ border and immigration legislation, Bill C-12, expected to be voted on at third reading this week.

“With Bill C-12, we’re again seeing the Liberals abandon their commitments to gender equality, pushing through legislation straight out of Trump’s playbook,” said Gazan. “Bill C-12 would place greater restrictions on women asylum seekers fleeing gender based violence, and would force many to stay in abusive relationships or unsafe working conditions as their immigration or refugee status is made more precarious. It clearly undermines women’s safety, but the Liberals do not seem to care.”

Among those joined by Gazan and Kwan include representatives of Fédération des femmes du Québec, Amnesty International, Centre des travailleurs et travailleuses immigrants, Action Réfugiés Montréal, and the Canadian Council for Refugees. According to these organizations, Bill C-12 retains many of the human rights violating provisions from the Government’s border bill, Bill C-2, which disproportionately harm women and gender diverse populations.

As NDP critic for Public Safety, MP Kwan shared her disappointment that the Liberals, Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois voted down NDP amendments to minimize harms on newcomers and asylum claimants. Civil society organizations have said loud and clear that Bill C-12 should be withdrawn. Despite that, the Liberals worked hand in glove with the Conservatives and Bloc to push it through the legislative process.

"Canada should not be violating migrants’ rights, especially those of women and children,” Kwan said. “I am dismayed that the Liberals have joined hands with both the Conservatives and Bloc to reject all of the NDP amendments, including amendments to exempt unaccompanied children, survivors of gender based violence and 2SLGBTQI+ members from being arbitrarily sent back to war zones, places ravaged by environmental disaster or where they face persecution due to their sexual orientation or gender identity."

“This bill is a total affront to dignity, fairness, due process and gender equality. The NDP will continue to fight for the rights of newcomers, migrants and refugees," said Kwan.