OTTAWA - A House of Commons committee is recommending that most adults eligible for birthright citizenship under the "Lost Canadians" bill meet the same standards on language, knowledge of Canadian history and security checks facing immigration applicants.

On Tuesday, MPs on the immigration committee adopted the Conservative amendment to Bill C-3, which will now go back to the House of Commons for approval.

The bill responds to a 2023 Ontario court ruling overturning a Stephen Harper-era law which prohibited Canadians born abroad from passing down citizenship if their children were not born in Canada. The government did not appeal the decision.

The "Lost Canadians" legislation, meant to replace the 2009 law that was deemed unconstitutional, would set new rules on citizenship by descent.

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