Which current federal MPs in Canada hold dual citizenship and what are their second countries?
Executive summary
Canada permits federal politicians to hold more than one nationality, and media research has repeatedly found dozens of sitting MPs and senators with second citizenships — though no single public roster lists every case; available reporting identifies at least 22 parliamentarians with dual or multiple citizenships and specific examples such as Andrew Scheer (Canada–U.S.) and Stéphane Dion (Canada–France) [1] [2] [3]. The evidence shows prevalence and variety — second citizenships span countries from France and the United States to Lebanon, Pakistan, Portugal and others — but the precise current list of all federal MPs and their second countries cannot be fully compiled from the sources provided [1] [3] [4].
1. Legal context: Canada allows dual citizens to sit in Parliament
Canadian election law does not bar MPs or prime ministers from holding citizenship in another country, and commentators have noted this contrasts with places such as Australia where constitutional rules have forced resignations for dual nationals [4] [2]. Coverage explains that the Canada Elections Act contains no citizenship-based disqualification for candidates, and that Canadian political culture and immigration history make dual nationality common among elected officials [4] [1].
2. What reporting has counted: dozens, not a definitive roster
CBC and other outlets that have looked at the issue report figures in the tens: a CBC analysis from 2017 and related reporting identified roughly 22 parliamentarians holding dual or triple citizenships, and earlier CBC research from 2006 found at least 11 MPs with documented second citizenships in that Parliament [1] [3]. Media follow-ups and compilations echo similar ballpark counts — for example, one outlet summarized that CBC News has confirmed “at least 22 Members of Parliament” with other citizenships in recent parliaments — but none of the supplied sources presents a complete, up‑to‑date list of every current MP and their second countries [5] [1].
3. Named examples and second countries reported
Specific, named cases documented in the reporting include Andrew Scheer, reported to hold U.S. citizenship by virtue of an American‑born parent (Canada–U.S.) [2] [6], and former Liberal leader Stéphane Dion, identified as holding French citizenship (Canada–France) and highlighted during past campaigns [3] [7]. Media surveys and CBC’s coverage also list MPs with citizenship ties to Afghanistan, Lebanon, Portugal, Poland, Pakistan, Syria, the United Kingdom and others, though often without a contemporaneous, exhaustive mapping of names to countries in the provided excerpts [1].
4. Why compiling a full current list is difficult from available reporting
Parliamentary biographies do not systematically publish every MP’s secondary citizenship status, and media tallies draw on self‑reporting, passport records, past disclosures and occasional investigative articles — so counts change with elections, renunciations and new reporting [8] [3]. The sources here document patterns and notable individual cases but do not permit an authoritative, current roster that names every sitting federal MP and the exact second country for each; therefore any definitive list would require up‑to‑date confirmation from MPs’ offices, official disclosures or a centralized government record not shown in the supplied reporting [1] [8].
5. Competing perspectives and political implications
Some commentators and politicians argue dual citizenship is benign and reflective of Canada’s multicultural reality, while critics raise concerns about perceived divided loyalties or practical issues such as security clearances and eligibility for certain offices — a debate amplified when other countries’ rules (e.g., Australia’s Section 44) have led to expulsions [4] [1] [2]. Reporting shows both defenses of multiple citizenships as normal and occasional political attacks or calls for renunciation, underscoring that the issue is as much political theater as a legal barrier in Canada [7] [9].
6. What can be done to answer the question definitively
A definitive, current answer would require a systematic review: cross‑checking each MP’s public biography, formal disclosures and direct confirmation from MPs or the House of Commons administrative records — none of which is fully represented in the sources provided here [8]. Until such primary confirmation is compiled and published, the best available characterization from these sources is that dozens of federal parliamentarians hold dual or multiple citizenships, with documented second countries including the United States, France, Lebanon, Pakistan, Portugal, Poland, Syria and others, and named individual examples like Andrew Scheer (U.S.) and Stéphane Dion (France) [1] [3] [2] [6].