TV Ontario's The Agenda, hosted had a panel discussion last night about dual citizenship.
Here are a few startling facts about this phenomenon:
- In the 1970s, there were just a handful of countries which allowed for dual citizenship. Now there are over 150.
- There is a higher number of Canadian citizens living abroad than any other country (per capita ). Although the numbers weren't broken down, this implies that the majority of these are part of this dual citizenship exodus returning to their countries of origin.
- Although there are a large number of Canadian citizens living abroad (read here in their countries of origin), many still plan to retire in Canada, to take advantage of the health care and other first class facilities available here. This despite their not having participated as tax-paying residents of Canada for all those years they lived abroad.
- Canada has one of the most lenient requirements for dual citizenship - essentially, you get a fully-functional passport and are treated as a bona fide Canadian citizen. But some countries, like India, for example, will give non-resident passports which are only good for limited privileges. Acquiring the citizenship of another country diminishes the Indian one.
- Many French and British Canadians hold dual citizenship. In fact, one of the panel members, Rudyard Griffiths of the Dominion Institute, held a British passport in honor of his grandfather who fought in the continental war, but is now renouncing it to remain simply Canadian. But, the history of Canada is intricately linked with France and Britain (Canada is still a British commonwealth, and we swear allegiance to the Queen). So, dual British/Canadian passport is far more legitimate than dual Indian/Canadian passport.
