The Conservative Party is urging the Liberal government to discontinue the practice of “one-click citizenship” and reinstate all citizenship ceremonies as in-person events. Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner criticized the online citizenship process, highlighting that last year, more than half of new Canadian citizens obtained their citizenship by simply clicking a box on the internet.
Rempel Garner emphasized the importance of returning to traditional in-person ceremonies, describing them as a vital foundation of Canadian civic life that fosters unity and community significance. New Canadians initially began taking their citizenship oaths through virtual ceremonies in April 2020 due to social distancing requirements. Although in-person ceremonies resumed in July 2022, the virtual option remained in place to facilitate smoother processing for a larger number of individuals.
While virtual ceremonies are not as straightforward as clicking a single button, they involve multiple steps outlined by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Participants in virtual ceremonies undergo identity verification, witness the cutting of their permanent resident card, take the citizenship oath, sign a document affirming their commitment, and submit it to IRCC.
In response to public feedback, the federal government considered allowing individuals to self-affirm their citizenship oath in 2023. However, after consultation, a majority of respondents opposed this idea. Conservative MP Tom Kmiec supported a petition advocating for a return to in-person ceremonies as the standard practice. Despite calls for change, the parliamentary secretary to the minister of immigration, refugees, and citizenship, Paul Chiang, defended virtual ceremonies, citing their role in reducing wait times for citizenship ceremonies.
An IRCC spokesperson confirmed the government’s commitment to delivering both in-person and virtual ceremonies across the country to ensure inclusivity and celebration.