“assimilation” means to integrate the stateless person into the economic, social and cultural life of the country. Article 32 also includes a “specific obligation” to expedite proceedings whenever an application for naturalization can be or has been made and to reduce the costs involved.504 The UNHCR’s Executive Committee has issued conclusions on the naturalization of stateless persons. In particular, the Executive Committee “encourages States to co-operate with UNHCR on methods to resolve cases of statelessness and to consider the possibility of providing resettlement places where a stateless person's situation cannot be resolved in the present host country or other country of former habitual residence, and remains precarious.505 For States that are not yet Parties to the 1954 Convention, the Executive Committee encourages States “to treat stateless persons lawfully residing on their territory in accordance with international human rights law; and to consider, as appropriate, facilitating the naturalization of habitually and lawfully residing stateless persons in accordance with national legislation.”506 II. Canadian Legal Framework In Statelessness in the Canadian Context, Andrew Brouwer provides an extensive overview of the limited options, as well as the practical and legal obstacles, stateless persons experience in attempting to obtain Canadian citizenship and permanent resident status. Below is a summary of the major programs potentially available to stateless persons, as well as the limitations of the legal framework that prevent many stateless persons from obtaining citizenship.507 a. Grants of Citizenship Grants of Citizenship: Stateless Children Born Abroad to Canadian Parents Born Abroad The Citizenship Act was recently amended to include a “first-generation limit” provision, which restricts the right of Canadian citizen parents who are born abroad from passing on Canadian citizenship to their children who are also born abroad.508 This provision has created concern that in some exceptional circumstances children born to Canadian citizens abroad could be born stateless.509 In such cases of statelessness, the Citizenship Act allows stateless children born abroad to Robinson Commentary to the 1954 Convention, supra note 11 at 64. UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), General Conclusion on International Protection, Conclusion No. 95 (LIV) (10 October 2003), at (v), available at: http://www.unhcr.org/3f93aede7.html. 506 EXCOM Conclusion No. 106, supra note 36 at (u). 507 Statelessness in the Canadian Context, supra note 4 at 38-50. 508 Citizenship Act, supra note 22 at s. 3(3). An exception exists under children and grandchildren born to parents who are or were members of the Canadian Forces (s. 3(5) & 3(5.1)). See also various citizenship scenarios at Citizenship and Immigration Canada, “Changes to citizenship rules as of April 2009” (24 July 2014), available at: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/citizenship/rules_2009.asp. Real life examples of stateless persons born in Canada, or stateless persons born abroad to Canadian citizens who were born abroad can be found at: Canadian Centre on Statelessness, “Stateless Canadians” (2014), available at: http://www.statelessness.ca/canadian-stories.html 509 Canadian Council for Refugees, “Canadian Citizenship – 2009 Changes” (February 2009), available at: http://ccrweb.ca/en/citizenship-2009-changes 504 505 105 105