moved for leave to introduce Bill C-274, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce an act that would amend the Citizenship Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. I thank the hon. member for Winnipeg Centre for seconding the bill.
In the previous Parliament, now retired senator Mobina Jaffer brought a bill on this issue, Bill S-235, through the Senate at all its stages. I would like to thank Senator Jaffer and the Our System, Our Children, Our Responsibility coalition for putting a light on this urgent gap in child protection.
Every day an estimated 61,000 children are in and out of care homes in Canada. Like all children, they deserve to have the rights of the child fully respected. They deserve the best of care. When the system fails in its responsibilities to these children, they are exposed to harm.
It is the responsibility of the government to apply for citizenship for children in care who came to Canada as minors, but the government routinely fails to do so. It leaves these young children vulnerable to the cruelty of deportation to a country that they left long ago as minors or that they have no connection to at all. Refugees and protected people face even more severe harms.
There is a temporary policy in place to address the citizenship of children who are the legal responsibility of the child protection system, but it will expire January 7, 2027. This bill would enshrine a clear path to citizenship for children in care who came to Canada as minors. Children aging out of care already face too many extraordinary barriers.
Parliamentarians should use their powers to protect the rights of some of the most vulnerable children. I urge the government to adopt this bill and see to its swift passage.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)