As the Conservative Party proposed a plan to end birthright citizenship in Canada, a social media post has gone viral as it claimed that pregnant mothers are coming to Canada for vacation. Citing flight attendants, the viral post said these mothers give birth in Canada only to have an “anchor baby” so that they have a tie with Canada. They also leave the hospitals without paying the bills, the viral post claimed. “No foreigner that is 8+ months pregnant has any business ‘vacationing’ in Canada. They’re only goal is to have an anchor baby that will bring them back when they are old so they can get free healthcare and free money, despite not paying a single dollar in taxes. It’s all a scam!” the viral post said.The post triggered a massive reaction as people questioned how 8.5 months pregnant women are allowed to fly, while many claimed that they sometimes lie about their months of pregnancy to the airlines.But the vital question remained on whether Canada will end birthright citizenship.
What did the Conservatives propose?
Children born in Canada would automatically become Canadians if only one parent is a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident. The existing rule is that anyone born in Canada becomes a citizen and this encouraged birth tourism where non-citizens come to Canada only to give birth. Conservative leader Michelle Rempel Garner said if Canada ends birthright citizenship, it will align Canada with Australia, New Zealand and the UK which already limited automatic citizenship.
Birthright citizenship in Canada
Since Confederation in 1867, birthright citizenship has been part of Canada’s national identity. It was designed to promote population growth and loyalty among early settlers. In 1947, the Canadian Citizenship Act made it a formal right, ensuring that anyone born on Canadian soil.In 2024, temporary residents surpassed 2.8 million, a 150% increase since 2019. The Bank of Canada has warned that this could fuel inflation and overwhelm public services.Justice Minister Sean Fraser called the proposal “fearmongering,” arguing that birth tourism accounts for less than 1% of all births. A joint letter signed by 50 organizations urges Parliament to reject the plan, calling citizenship “a human birthright, not a privilege to ration.”