VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA — Canada's immigration ministry is requesting that some individuals who recently received Canadian citizenship certificates return them for review. These letters state that recipients may not be entitled to the certificates and request their return.

Canadian legislation allowing citizenship through an ancestral tie was enacted in December. An immigration ministry spokesperson confirmed that a limited number of files are undergoing review due to concerns regarding the processing of individual cases. The spokesperson said individuals who received surrender letters will have the chance to provide additional evidence to support their citizenship. If the review confirms an individual is entitled to the certificate, it will be returned.

The ministry indicated that each application underwent review by trained officers before certificates were issued. In the first month and a half after the legislation was enacted, Canada received more than 12,000 applications for the program. Most approved citizenship applications were granted to individuals born in the U.S. Applicants born in Mexico and the U.K. were the next most likely to have their applications approved.

Shawn Davis Mooney, who permanently relocated from California to Victoria, British Columbia, applied for Canadian citizenship after the new legislation took effect. Mooney submitted 114 pages of documents indicating a great-great-grandparent was born in New Brunswick. He received urgent processing and was granted a citizenship certificate in February. However, a letter signed by Registrar of Canadian Citizenship Peggy Sun stated that Mooney's certificate may be revoked due to a failure to provide correct documentation, and that the status of his citizenship is under review. "It has devastated me beyond imagination." Mooney said, adding that his application process was exhaustive.

Rana Charron, who lives in Cleveland, Ohio, also received a physical copy of her Canadian citizenship certificate earlier this month. Charron applied using census records that indicated her great-great-grandmother was French-Canadian and from Quebec, as no birth certificate or baptismal records were available for her ancestor from that time. "I was very excited to be formally Canadian." Charron said. She also said, "It is one of the largest disappointments I have had in my life."

Lisa Middlemiss, an immigration lawyer based in Montreal, said, "Only in very rare circumstances can the government revoke citizenship." Middlemiss added, "It sends such a bad message for Canada." Information regarding denied applications is not currently publicly available.