Institutions Minister: Refugee Claim and Monsef Birthplace

institutions minister: She said her mother, who fled Afghanistan with her daughters when Monsef was 11, didn't think it mattered where the minister was born since she was still legally considered an Afghan citizen, according to The Waterloo Record. Monsef has said she will have to correct her birthplace information on her passport. The democratic institutions minister revealed last week that she was born in Iran, not Afghanistan as she'd long believed. If Monsef birthplace was misrepresented on her refugee claim and was relevant to the ruling on her case, her citizenship could be revoked, regardless of whether it was an innocent mistake or the fault of her mother, said immigration lawyer Lorne Waldman. The minister office did not respond to a question about the place of birth recorded on Monsef citizenship, permanent residency and refugee applications, saying in a statement only that the minister "is committed to addressing this matter and has stated she will work to resolve it." The Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers and the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association argue that the citizenship revocation law, known as Bill C-24, is procedurally unfair and a violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. She could even be deported, said Waldman, part of a group that launched a constitutional challenge of the law Monday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.