October 2007 - Nr. 10
H. LIEBRECHT & ASSOCIATES wins important precedent court case in the field of German-Canadian citizenship law
Vancouver,October 2007.- Earlier this year in May, H. LIEBRECHT & ASSOCIATES, a German law firm with offices in Canada, won a groundbreaking legal case against the Federal Republic of Germany. The successful completion of these proceedings is of importance for many Germans who had arrived in Canada after World War II as minors accompanying their parents and who in the meantime acquired Canadian citizenship.
For decades, the particularities of Canadian immigration policies and regulations created a conflict between Canadian immigration law and the application of German law through the German authorities. As a result, it was incorrectly stated that German immigrants were forfeiting their German citizenship the moment they became Canadian citizens.
The outcome of the precedent case now won in the last instance demonstrates that for many years, the Federal Republic of Germany had unlawfully stripped many immigrants of their German citizenship and had tolerated an incorrect application of the law.
As a result of this finding, many German immigrants, despite of their being Canadian citizens, actually never lost their German citizenship and possibly still are German citizens! The same holds true for their children and grandchildren!
Being a German citizen has many advantages, including the right to vote in the Federal Republic of Germany, the right to free movement, and the right to stay and work within the entire European Union. In view of the comparatively low costs for education, young people might find it worthwhile to get their academic education or qualified vocational training in Germany.
These advantages do not only apply for immigrants who arrived in Canada as minors, but also for their children, grandchildren and other descendants. These individuals can now claim their German citizenship without having to forfeit their Canadian citizenship, even without having to prove German language skills.
A thorough legal examination is required to determine whether German law was incorrectly applied, in which case the individual would be eligible to be granted a proof of German citizenship and a German passport.
The german law firm H. LIEBRECHT & ASSOCIATES with offices in Munich, Vancouver, Toronto, and as of July, 1st 2007 also in Calgary, has extensive experience in the area of German Canadian legal relations. With this six-year long and finally won legal battle, the team of attorney Hubertus Liebrecht has once again successfully demonstrated their comprehensive legal expertise.
Should you be interested in having your citizenship status examined and enjoying the positive effects for yourself, your children and grandchildren, our team will be happy to assist you at any time. You are also invited to peruse the information on our website www.liebrecht.com.
In addition to issues around dual citizenship, our law firm also specializes in the area of German Canadian estate law. You may call us toll-free within North America under the number 1-866-359-1600 or 1-866-529-4769.
