Citizenship and Immigration committee  Because we are a tenant of the Department of Foreign Affairs outside Canada, we have to live with its decisions. We have had consultations with representatives of that department in recent years and they have decided to close several small missions in Africa because there was no business.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  You have drawn our attention to a real problem. In recent decades, the federal government has closed a number of local offices throughout the country for economic reasons, and this causes us major difficulties. We are in the process of examining two or three possibilities to alleviate these difficulties.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  The act is very clear on the subject. If there has been no registration, the person is not a Canadian citizen. Whether it was an error by the Crown or a church is of little importance. Under the act that we have to enforce, proof of registration within a period of two years is required.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I can give it a try, Mr. Chairman. To go back to one of the points the minister made initially, you have to start from the premise that most of the people who seem to be affected by these difficulties are likely Canadians who have lost their proof of that citizenship. I understand that for many of these people this is frustrating, but in many ways it's no different from the situation I am in.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Mr. Chairman, between 1947 and 1977, a person born outside of Canada to a Canadian parent had to register that birth within two years. Post-1977, they were eligible to be registered, as well, and it was extended. The approach we've taken in dealing with these cases is that if there has been a substantive and substantial connection with Canada, in those circumstances where they have not registered, we are recommending to the minister that she use her authority under subsection 5(4).

Citizenship and Immigration committee  The minister briefly answered this question earlier. We've had information on our website, we've produced information kits, and people are prepared to answer the question through our call centre. Since the statute has been proclaimed we've had 168 applications, and they're all in the process of being dealt with through the processing centre in Sydney.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  The information in the very short term that I was referring to was retained by the passport office. I remember seeing some in the Globe and Mail and the Citizen. The other advertising I was talking about related to the change in the rules in 2004-05. I was told by the department that we had advertised, but I really don't know in which newspapers we advertised.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  No, I said we advertised, I just don't know where. It was a couple of years ago, and I wasn't there.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Yes, Mr. Chairman. We opened a dedicated call line on January 26, and between then and the end of the day on February 14, we had 10,200-odd calls to that line on a variety of issues. Of those, 713 related to the loss of citizenship. Of that number, we were able to confirm citizenship for 670, and 43 were referred to Sydney for further review.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Yes, sir.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I have no idea, Mr. Chairman, whether it's front and centre. I was told that at every Canadian mission, and in particular any mission that has an immigration office, that information would be made available.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  We tried to do that, Mr. Chairman, but given the way in which the citizenship system is organized, it's all on a case-by-case basis. From our perspective, whether the minister is entirely correct and there are 450 cases, or you are perhaps correct and there are hundreds more, the key is that those who are involved must register with CIC.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  It would be thousands, but...I don't know.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I can understand the frustration. As I understand it, DND births had to be registered both with the department—what you're talking about, with a Registration of Birth Abroad—and they also had to be registered with the Registrar of Canadian Citizenship. The rules of the time required that a particular form be used in a particular manner.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  There is a possibility of bureaucratic error, but I would also suggest that it's the responsibility of a parent to make sure things are done properly as well.