---
title: "Shock in Canada: Government Massively Revokes Citizenship Certificates for 'Lost Canadians'"
description: "Canada is massively revoking citizenship certificates for 'Lost Canadians'. Thousands of people who have already received passports must return them for verification due to doubts about the documents. This is destroying relocation plans and putting at risk those who have already started living in the country. 🇨🇦🚫📄"
date: 2026-06-17T00:28:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/shock-in-canada-government-massively-revokes-citizenship-certificates-for-lost-canadians
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Shock in Canada: Government Massively Revokes Citizenship Certificates for 'Lost Canadians'

![Canadian flag against mountainous landscapes — symbol of the country where citizenship is being revoked from 'lost Canadians'](https://xab.info/media/2026/06/17/kanada-massovyy-otzyv-grazhdanstva-poteryannye-kancec/kanada-massovyy-otzyv-grazhdanstva-poteryannye-kancec-1.webp)

A major immigration scandal is unfolding in Canada. The country's government has made an unprecedented decision: to suspend thousands of citizenship certificates issued very recently. Those affected are people who took advantage of the new "Lost Canadians" law, which was intended to help descendants of emigrants reconnect with their homeland.

### Mass Revocation of Documents

The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has begun sending emails worldwide. Owners of certificates obtained at the end of last year are urgently asked to return their documents for additional verification. The campaign was initiated by Registrar Peggy Sun, who personally signs these notifications.

The text of the official letter is harsh and unequivocal: "The purpose of this letter is to inform you that I have information suggesting that you may not be eligible for a Canadian citizenship certificate." Officials point to issues with the provided documents, claiming that some were not obtained from original sources. People now have to prove their roots all over again.

### Who is Affected?

The situation concerns so-called "Lost Canadians" — people born abroad but with Canadian ancestors. Last November, parliament passed Bill C-3, which opened the path to obtaining a passport for descendants of Canadians in the second and subsequent generations.

Under the new rules, 4,075 people have already received certificates. Half of them live in the USA. In total, about 115,000 people may be eligible for the status. For many, this decision has been a real blow, destroying carefully laid plans for the future.

### Personal Dramas and Ruined Plans

One of those affected is a woman from Maine who received her certificate in March. She had already put her home in the USA up for sale, planning to move to Nova Scotia. The woman wanted to leave the USA due to political instability and a sense of insecurity.

"You no longer feel safe in America, especially if you are a woman, or if you have mental health issues, or if you are a person of color... There are so many different reasons why people are unwelcome here," she explained her motives. Now she is forced to suspend the sale of her property and gather new evidence for the Canadian government.

### Legal Deadlock

Lawyers call the situation unprecedented. Usually, authorities check documents before granting status, so the mass revocation of already issued certificates looks strange. "It creates the impression that they realized that at some point errors were made in some files, and they are uncomfortable with the issued certificates," notes Montreal immigration lawyer Lisa Middlemiss.

The problem is exacerbated by the fact that many people have already started working or studying in Canada based on these documents. Now their status is uncertain. The system is working slowly, and queues for certificates are growing rapidly. Lawyers are preparing lawsuits, considering the ministry's actions unlawful. Certificate owners are promised that their documents will only be returned after they pass a re-verification and prove their compliance with the law.