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Birthing Canadian citizens: Migrant mothers’ experiences accessing documentation and citizenship for children born in Canada and abroad

The back of a mother holding her baby while looking over a lake

Project Lead(s)

Allison Petrozziello

In Canada, access to birthright citizenship is presumed to be automatic, regardless of the citizenship or status of migrant mothers, or whether they give birth in Canada or abroad. However, some migrant mothers face obstacles in obtaining birth certificates and proof of citizenship for the Canadian babies they bring into the world.

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Objective

The project aims to identify the legal and techno-administrative obstacles to citizenship acquisition for children born to specific groups of migrant mothers, with a focus on temporary or non-status migrants and Canadians living abroad. It will also recommend actions to facilitate these children’s access to proof of Canadian citizenship, including leveraging advanced digital technologies (ADTs).

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Research question(s)

  1. What kinds of barriers to birth registration, identity documentation, and/or legal citizenship do children born to particular groups of migrant mothers, who are not permanent residents, face? 
  2. How does geographic and institutional location of birth play a role in whether and how a child is documented with proof of Canadian citizenship? 
  3. In what ways do the intersections of gender, race, class, migration status, and sexuality shape the experiences of migrant mothers who are birthing Canadian citizens? 
  4. How can ADTs help or hinder access to documentation and proof of Canadian citizenship?
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Methodology

The project consists of two studies, each focusing on a specific population group: ‘non-resident’ migrant mothers giving birth to Canadian citizens in Canada, and Canadian citizen mothers birthing the second generation abroad (the so-called “Lost Canadians”). The methodology is mixed, with quantitative scoping to determine the extent of the problem as well as qualitative qualitative case study research to examine the nature of migrant mothers’ experiences with documentation and access to citizenship for the next generation.

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Status

Phase one of the project is underway, including research team recruitment, literature reviews, and fieldwork planning.

Expected completion date: September 2026

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Key words

Canadian citizenship; birth registration; reproduction; gender; social inequality; intersectionality