About UPI  |  UPI en Español   |   My Account
Free News Update:
United Press International - News. Analysis. Insight.™ - 100 Years of Journalistic Excellence
  • Home
  • Top News
  • Entertainment
  • Odd News
  • Sports
    • Baseball
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Olympics 2008
  • Business
  • Science
  • Health
  • Analysis
    • Energy Resources
    • Security Industry
    • Emerging Threats
  • Video
  • News Photos
Search:
Go
Advertise on UPI
You are here:  Home / Odd News / Bureaucracy keeps Canadian woman stateless

Odd News

View archive | RSS Feed

Bureaucracy keeps Canadian woman stateless

Published: Feb. 25, 2008 at 12:45 PM
Order reprints  |  Print Story  |  Email to a Friend  |  Post a Comment
BRANTFORD, Ontario, Feb. 25 (UPI) -- A Florida-born Canadian woman is in a Catch-22 citizenship dilemma eight years after losing a wallet containing the only proof she's Canadian.

Elizabeth Shmuir was born prematurely in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 32 years ago to a vacationing mother who'd been told by a doctor she wasn't pregnant, The Expositor, a Brantford, Ontario, newspaper reported.

Shmuir later grew up in the southern Ontario town and had a provincial drivers license, a provincial healthcare card and a federal Social Insurance card, she said. She's been able to replace all of the identification except the crucial piece that verified she was a Canadian born abroad, the report said.

"I've given (the authorities) as much information as I could but they ask questions like 'What time of day did you enter Canada? What airline were you on? What was the name of the immigration officer?' and I can't answer those," she told The Expositor.

Federal immigration officials say there is no record of her entering the country as a newborn, the newspaper said. They encouraged Shmuir to get an immigration lawyer, which she said she can't afford, the report said.



© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
News Photos Slideshows
Photos of the Day
Week in Photos
News
Entertainment
Sports
Features
Olympics 2008
Best of Odd News
Your Daily Horoscope
The almanac
Most Popular
Stories
Photos
Videos
1.
Cops bust movie set, not robbery
2.
'Supersede' most often misspelled
3.
Olympian: Bikinis better for volleyball
4.
Sheriff: Urinal posters catch suspects
5.
Hoax Bigfoot was filled with road kill
Path to the Presidency - DNC Convention News


Videos
Enlarge Video
Native American delegates on the rise at DNC
Native American delegates on the rise at DNC
Friday, August 29
Obama's speech: Reaction from Invesco Field
Obama's speech: Reaction from Invesco Field
Friday, August 29
Obama set to wrap DNC
Obama set to wrap DNC
Thursday, August 28
Household vampires
Household vampires
Wednesday, August 6
© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Official Government Wires  |   About UPI  |   Site Map  |   Terms of Use  |   Privacy Policy  |   Advertise Online  |   Contact Us

Sponsored Links: Auto Dealers - College Football Tickets - Fundraisers - Press Release Services - prom dresses - Prom dresses and gowns - Wedding and Honeymoon Experts - Motivational Sports Speakers Bureau - Real Estate Properties in the world