Each year Canada admits close to 211,000 immigrants including family members and refugees . Canadian Immigration Minister Lucienne Robillard, announced recently that the children of these immigrants might not be able to be granted automatic citizenship. Canada has a law now that says children born to non-Canadian parents automatically are granted citizenship, similar a law in the United States.

Robillard was responding to an Ontario Court that recently overturned an illegal immigrant’s deportation so that she could raise her two Canadian born daughters.

The Toronto Sun reported that this issue is something that Robillard may make legislation soon.

"I don’t know exactly what we will decide," said Robilard. She added, "But for me it raises a more fundamental issue here and it is the question to give citizenship to children who are born in Canada when their parents are not Canadians. This is a fundamental issue we will have to discuss very seriously among Canadians. What do we want to do with them?"

This issue of "passport babies" is not a new issue. In 1994 a Commons Committee recommended that only children who were born to couples where one or both parents were citizens should be granted citizenship. Since the 1980’s, Britain and Australia have had laws that require strict guidelines for citizenship of children.

Robert Bothwell, a Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto said that this issue is more about control than immigration.

"I imagine that it has something to do with the Immigration department and their futile attempts to resume control over our immigration," he said.

Advocates for refugees were outraged over this announcement by Robillard, reported the Calgary Sun.

Janet Dench of the Canadian Council for Refugees says this is not fair to the children.

"Here is a court saying that these children have certain rights and the minister’s response is to take away their status so that they no longer have rights," Dench said.

Canadians pride themselves on their rights as citizens. Immigration services say that acquiring this citizenship is part of integrating new members into Canadian society. For immigrants they say, taking the Oath of Citizenship means making a personal commitment to Canada. If this law goes into effect immigrants may not be as welcome as before.

Dench also said that she would be afraid of the status of new citizens.

" To call that into question would be to move towards a system in other parts of the world where people can spend their lives in a country and still not be fully accepted members of the society," she said.

Others are not worrying about the law but looking at the reasons behind the announcement.

Bothwell, The University of Toronto professor said that government is trying to recover from earlier mistakes.

"They [the Canadian Government] got a bloody nose earlier this year… perhaps this is an attempt to recoup," he said. Bothwell added, "It should be remembered that the Minister of Immigration is rather weak," he said.

The Calgary Sun reported on a particular case involving an immigrant from Venezuela. In 1988, Francis, 35 came to Canada and sought refugee status from her native country. She has two Canadian born daughters and a son of other origin. Francis attempted to apply for immigrant status but was rejected. She was ordered to deport in August of 1997. Francis’ children who were citizens were penalized because she was not.

The lawyer for these children Jeffrey Wilson says that the Canadian government needs to take children into consideration.

"We’re not arguing that every immigrant with Canadian born children is here forever, Wilson told the Toronto Star. "We’re arguing that before you kick them out…you consider the impact upon the children," he said.

Bothwell, the University of Toronto professor was hopeful that the law would not be passed.

"On the issue itself I imagine that they will not succeed in doing anything. It is a time honored right to be a citizen of the place where you are born, and not surprisingly all kinds of people through the millennia have abused the privilege. So what?" he said.