'Lost Canadians' told to surrender citizenship certificates are searching for answers

The flag files on top of the Confederation Building on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA — People who received citizenship certificates through Canada’s citizenship by descent law are scrambling for answers after an unknown number of them suddenly received requests from the federal government to surrender their certificates over the weekend.

Rana Charron, whose Canadian citizenship was formally recognized in mid-May, says she got a letter from the federal government on Saturday asking her to surrender the document.

Her letter says her citizenship is being reviewed because she either failed to supply supporting documents from original source authorities or neglected to explain attempts to secure documents from original sources.

She says she went through those steps and is frustrated by the lack of an explanation from Ottawa.

A spokesperson for Immigration Minister Lena Diab’s office says she will not be available for an interview today.

Her department has also provided no response to a request made on Sunday seeking more information on the surrender letters.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2026.

David Baxter, The Canadian Press