[LINK] "Sons of Russian spies battle for their birthright"
Nicholas Keung's Toronto Star story takes a look at an interesting consequence of Canadian citizenship law. Two young men, born in Canada to Russian spy parents who had faked identities, were stripped of their citizenship as a result of this, and they want to get it back.
Alexander Vavilov, 21, and his older brother, Timothy, 25, are in the midst of a legal battle to get their citizenship back, arguing they shouldn’t be penalized for the sins of their parents.
“It is not fair to punish us for something we have nothing to do with. We have done nothing wrong,” Alexander Vavilov told the Star in an exclusive interview from an undisclosed city in Europe, where he is studying for an undergraduate degree.
“I now feel I must live in exile because of past events completely out of my control or knowledge,” the former Toronto resident said. “I believe that if I don’t fight for my rightful citizenship I may never be able to return to my birthplace.”
Alexander and Timothy have never been in trouble with the law, though it’s a different story for their parents - Andrey Bezrukov and Elena Vavilova - who acquired their new personas by stealing the identities of two dead Canadians, Donald Heathfield and Tracey Ann Foley.
[. . .]
In taking away the brothers’ citizenship, Ottawa ruled their Russian parents were employees of a foreign government when they’d lived in Canada and hence the boys should be excluded from the privilege.
[. . .]
In August 2014, the Registrar of Canadian Citizenship refused to issue citizenship certificates to the brothers under their amended surname, Vavilov.
“Mr. Vavilov does not dispute his parents’ status as illegals in the United States, nor does he dispute that their Canadian citizenship and passports were obtained by fraud,” wrote Federal Court Justice Richard Bell in a recent ruling upholding the federal government’s decision in Alexander’s case. “There is adequate evidence on the record to reasonably conclude that his parents’ presence in Canada constituted part of their (spying) mission for the Russian government.”
Alexander Vavilov, 21, and his older brother, Timothy, 25, are in the midst of a legal battle to get their citizenship back, arguing they shouldn’t be penalized for the sins of their parents.
“It is not fair to punish us for something we have nothing to do with. We have done nothing wrong,” Alexander Vavilov told the Star in an exclusive interview from an undisclosed city in Europe, where he is studying for an undergraduate degree.
“I now feel I must live in exile because of past events completely out of my control or knowledge,” the former Toronto resident said. “I believe that if I don’t fight for my rightful citizenship I may never be able to return to my birthplace.”
Alexander and Timothy have never been in trouble with the law, though it’s a different story for their parents - Andrey Bezrukov and Elena Vavilova - who acquired their new personas by stealing the identities of two dead Canadians, Donald Heathfield and Tracey Ann Foley.
[. . .]
In taking away the brothers’ citizenship, Ottawa ruled their Russian parents were employees of a foreign government when they’d lived in Canada and hence the boys should be excluded from the privilege.
[. . .]
In August 2014, the Registrar of Canadian Citizenship refused to issue citizenship certificates to the brothers under their amended surname, Vavilov.
“Mr. Vavilov does not dispute his parents’ status as illegals in the United States, nor does he dispute that their Canadian citizenship and passports were obtained by fraud,” wrote Federal Court Justice Richard Bell in a recent ruling upholding the federal government’s decision in Alexander’s case. “There is adequate evidence on the record to reasonably conclude that his parents’ presence in Canada constituted part of their (spying) mission for the Russian government.”