Woman's Canadian citizenship revoked after 32 years amid 'error'

The federal government has cancelled an Ajax, Ont., woman's Canadian citizenship over an error it said it made more than 30 years ago — forcing her to pay hundreds of dollars in a bid to get it back.

In September, Arielle Townsend received a letter from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), saying her Canadian citizenship was at risk of being revoked. The ordeal began when the department said Townsend's mother may not have been a Canadian citizen when Townsend was born in Jamaica. 

In a letter sent to Townsend this week and viewed by CBC Toronto, the department said Townsend's citizenship has been rescinded. "Your citizenship certificate is no longer valid," it said.

"Townsend's status in Canada is now a foreign national," the department said in a further letter to her lawyers.

The news came as a shock to Townsend, who's held citizenship in Canada since she was a baby.

"Applying for citizenship when you've been a citizen, or you thought you were a citizen your entire life is really jarring," said Townsend. "This is putting me in a very difficult position."

Townsend and her lawyers say they provided the government with all the facts, arguing Townsend's mother was a citizen when Townsend was born as she was issued a citizenship card in July 1991, months before Townsend's birth, which her mother has sworn to in a signed affidavit. 

In its response this week, the IRCC said while a citizenship card was created for her mother in 1991, she did not take her citizenship oath until a few months after Townsend was born.

Townsend's mother has said in her affidavit that asked a citizenship officer what she needed to do to get her infant status in Canada — and was assured her daughter was already a citizen. A citizenship card was issued to Townsend in August 1992. 

"IRCC acknowledges there was a clear error in the issuance of Arielle Townsend's Canadian citizenship certificate," the department said in an email to Townsend's lawyer. "However, the legislative provision pertaining to recall of Canadian citizenship certificate does not allow for any discretion."

"Despite what is printed on her citizenship certificate, a person is only considered a Canadian citizen once they have taken the oath of citizenship," it said, in reference to Townsend's mother.

To get her citizenship back, Townsend must now make an application under "special discretionary grounds" in order for it to be processed "urgently," said IRCC. It will cost more than $600 to apply, said Townsend. 

According to the statement of facts that Townsend's lawyers have submitted to the government, Townsend's mother had been living in Canada for several years by 1991. She became pregnant that year and travelled to Jamaica, where she could benefit from more family support in the lead-up to Townsend's birth. 

Townsend's mother's family in Canada took their citizenship oath that July, around which time a citizenship card was issued to Townsend's mother.