Don't stress yourself as nothing is going to happen to you. The liberal gov't stopped opening new cases. Just apply for your citizenship.
It is clear the Liberal government has not been nearly as aggressive in pursuing cessation as the Harper Conservative government was.
However, actually, the government statistics show that there were
81 new cessation applications made in the first six months of THIS YEAR, and 94 in all of 2016, showing that not only is Canada continuing to open new cessation cases under the Liberal government, it appears the government is pursuing more this year than last.
See
http://www.irb-cisr.gc.ca/Eng/RefClaDem/stats/Pages/RPDVacStat.aspx
The number of these cases which have been finalized in the last two years is down considerably, but the government's information does not illuminate why (my recollection is that a large number may have been on hold pending judicial review, which as the cases referenced in posts above illustrate, mostly have not gone in the PR-refugee's favour).
Nonetheless, the odds are probably good that
Derut will be OK. The consequences of cessation are so severe, however, if it is at all feasible (affordability looming large), it would be a good idea to at least consult with a reputable, competent immigration lawyer who is familiar with refugee issues and cessation in particular.
Blanket assurance that nothing will be done is reckless. The UNHCR guidelines, which are operative in cessation cases, specifically provide that there is a presumption of reavailment if a protected person obtains or uses a passport from the home country. While this presumption is rebuttable, and for both
Derut and
NonaArso it appears it should be relatively easy to rebut this presumption, this is nonetheless a serious matter which warrants due consideration before proceeding to make a citizenship application.
The few facts referenced by both
Derut and
NonaArso suggest the odds are favourable, that it appears IRCC is more likely to proceed with the citizenship application (in these circumstances) rather than suspend processing while there is a referral to CBSA to investigate and determine whether to proceed with cessation. But lawyers who are engaged with IRCC and CBSA relative to refugee issues, and on a regular basis, should have a much better perspective on the risks and, very importantly, can review the relevant facts and background with the prospective applicant to better assess the particular risk for that individual.
Again, given the severity of the consequences if the government does make an application for cessation, a consultation with an appropriate professional would be the prudent thing to do before making the citizenship application.
when i became a PR back in Oct 2013, I was only told to not travel to my country of origion. I have never traveled since then. But some people told me i need the valid passport to apply for citizinship. so i renewed my passport but never used it at all. i didnt know about cessation thing. but i think it is better to apply now than later. Who knows what the next govt come up with
I'm a protected person and I never traveled back to my home country or renew my passport, but I did use it to travel twice to a third country where they don't accept refugee travel documents (Arabic countries).
When I received my COPR, I remember asking the officer from CBSA when she returned my original passport and other documents, if I can travel with my passport, she said of course you can travel with it but do not go back to your home country.
The main reason I started this topic, in the summer of 2015, was very much a reaction to the scope and impact of the BAD ADVICE too often being given PR-refugees. There are, indeed, scores of reports and many occasions in this forum in which PR-refugees had been wrongly advised they should obtain a passport before applying for citizenship. The reports refer to this advice coming from call centre representatives, CBSA officers at a PoE, local office personnel, among others who should have known better but obviously did not.
The odds are good that neither of you will have a problem. BUT, as I emphasized above,
the potential consequences are so severe, that before applying for citizenship it would be prudent to review your own particular facts, the whole range of them, with a professional who is familiar with refugee issues generally and cessation in particular.
Since the passport has never been used, odds are particularly good for
Derut a, compared to someone who has used the passport, such as
NonaArso reports. The absence of any travel to the home country is a big plus, but as I also noted above the UNHCR guidelines, which govern cessation, just obtaining the home country passport supports a presumption of reavailment.
The particular facts in your respective cases are important. Reviewing your particular circumstances with an appropriate professional would be a good precaution to take before applying for citizenship. If you apply for citizenship, after all, you will need to disclose and provide a copy of the home country passport.
It is feasible that IRCC citizenship processing agents are not screening applicants for potential cessation, or at least not doing so unless there are blatant indications of in fact reavailment. But again, the potential consequences are so severe (loss of all status to live in Canada), this is not something the prudent protected person should gamble on without carefully considering what is at stake.