Richmond MP presents birth tourism petition to parliament
Posted October 6, 2018 8:56 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A petition with nearly 11,000 signatures denouncing birth tourism made its way to Ottawa yesterday, asking the government to crack down on the practice.
Steveston-Richmond East MP Joe Peschisolido sponsored the petition denouncing the practice, which is when expectant mothers travel to Canada to give birth, giving their children automatic Canadian citizenship. They’re asking the federal government to find out how wide-spread it is, and to come up with a plan to stop it.
The petition claims the practice is “fundamentally debasing the value of Canadian citizenship” and that there is an underground market of businesses profiting from the trend.
“The birth tourism industry must be dismantled and ultimately shut down,” Peschisolido said in a press release. “Birth tourism is an abuse of Canada’s immigration and citizenship system, as well as our public health care and social security systems.”
The government is required to respond to the petition within 45 calendar days.
