Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
Honourable Monte Solberg

Dear Mr. Solberg:

Your criticism of “dual citizens who use Canada as 'port in the storm'”
http://www.mytelus.com/news/article.do?articleID=2443120
should be placed in a broader context. Allow me to reproduce two relevant sections of my submission to the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (CIMM) via Email on Jan. 17, 2005 and in person at public hearing #34 in Edmonton on April 07, 2005.

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Dual Citizenship:
The issue of dual or multiple citizenship has been discussed peripherally at CIMM meetings several times. My understanding is that Canadian citizenship was defined in 1947 and dual citizenship was not allowed. Presumably sometimes after 1977, it was introduced surreptitiously by the CIC bureaucracy without any input from the public or Parliament.

In my opinion, the issue of dual citizenship is very important to the concept and definition of Canadian citizenship. It should be discussed at the public hearings and very clearly handled in the Citizenship Act.

I would urge CIMM to prepare a background study on dual citizenship -- its historical development (or lack thereof) and its status in Canada as of 2005. This study should include the number of Canadians, who possess dual citizenship -- complete with a breakdown according to age, gender, education, occupation, residency and the countries involved. There should be a similar breakdown of landed immigrants and visitors (both legal and illegal).

Revocation of Citizenship:
"Canada, as well as all countries in the world, should adopt the principle that citizenship cannot be revoked by the state. There should be no stateless person; there should be no person with dual or multiple citizenships. On the other hand, a person should be able to give up his/her citizenship to become a citizen of another country, if that is his/her desire and he/she is accepted by the other country."

Although not stated explicitly, these concepts also imply that no person on the planet should possess more than one passport. I further maintain that entering or leaving a country on a false passport should result in immediate incarceration for a period of one year, during which the circumstances of the fraud could be established and appropriate legal penalties imposed.
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In my opinion, these are the basic concepts that should define Canadian citizenship.

Finally, if the study on dual citizenship has been carried out as suggested above, I would be pleased to receive an electronic copy via Email or a URL reference at which it is posted.

Respectfully yours
William Zuzak, Ph.D., P.Eng. (retired); 2006-11-08