By Randa Darwish
While xenophobia has been sweeping across the west, calls to adopt policies that limit the migrants’ accessibility are on the rise. The latest was Canada’s Conservative Party resolution to axe 'birthright citizenship', or as some might refer to it as "birth tourism."
It is part of the Canadian law that says anyone who is born on the Canadian soil will receive citizenship, even if the parents are not Canadian citizens.
The law has been highly debated among Canadians with some claim that people are taking advantage of the law to try to enter the country, which grants their children healthcare and education benefits. On top of that, when the children become adults they have the ability to sponsor their parents to migrate to Canada.
The petition presented by the Conservatives suggested the government should put an end to this law. Instead, requiring the children to have at least one parent with a Canadian citizenship or permanent residency.
The controversy over the birthright tourism in Canada has led some people backing it fiercely.
Others suggested extending the law to remove citizenship from people who already were granted it in accordance to the law.
Many considered the birthright law as a massive “problem” for their country in a time where all “Developed Nations” have removed it.
On the other hand, many went to defend the law criticizing the racism being promoted by the new resolution.
Despite the fact that Canada has been a land of immigrants for centuries and it received large numbers of migrants from the war-torn countries in the Middle East and Africa during the last few years, the debate regarding the law continues.
Migrants in Canada has also expressed their disappointment in passing such a resolution.
The New Democratic Party has also spoken out on the matter. The party’s leader, Jagmeet Singh tweeted in defence of the birthright citizenship law.
