In July 2020, Global News reported that the policy of not allowing refugee claimants and temporary residents to change their legal gender was causing harm, especially to asylum seekers. The article cites the case of Naomi Chen (a pseudonym), a trans woman who was born in Hong Kong and holds Chinese nationality and Hong Kong permanent resident status. Chen's HKSAR passport still states her gender as 'male', and consequently she was issued a Refugee Protection Claimant Document by IRCC bearing that gender. Chen was not able to change her legal gender in Hong Kong, fearing that her marriage, which was solemnized in Hong Kong, would be terminated (Hong Kong does not allow same-sex marriage). She says she is now afraid of interacting with the community, given the incorrect gender designation on her documents. In response, Kevin Lemkay, spokesperson for federal immigration minister Marco Mendicino, said that 'reviewing gender identity requirements for government-issued documents a priority'. Will Tao, a Vancouver immigration lawyer, notes that this restriction is merely policy, and not enshrined in legislation or regulation. He contends that the Canadian federal government is potentially committing a violation of Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, in Tao's own words an issue "ripe for future litigation".