OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) – The number of people who have signed a petition calling for Elon Musk to lose his Canadian citizenship over his alleged efforts to “erase” the nation’s sovereignty hit 250,000 on Tuesday.

The tech billionaire was born to an affluent South African family in Pretoria before immigrating to Canada and acquiring Canadian citizenship via his mother Maye Musk, who is originally from the province of Saskatchewan.

The petition that opened for signatures on February 20 says Musk “has engaged in activities that go against the national interest of Canada.”

It also says Musk, who is also a US citizen and a top advisor to President Donald Trump, has become “a member of a foreign government that is attempting to erase Canadian sovereignty.”

In a now-deleted post Monday, Musk mocked the petition, claiming “Canada is not a real country,” he wrote on the social media platform X he owns.

He has strongly supported Trump who has repeatedly questioned Canadian sovereignty, ridiculed Canada’s political leaders and argued that Canada should become a US state.

Canadian federal lawmaker Charlie Angus, who sponsored the petition, said the effort “gives an opportunity for people to express their justifiable anger at the growing power of oligarchs and extremists.”

“People like Elon Musk are enemies of our country,” added Angus, a member of the leftist New Democratic Party.

Petitions presented to Canada’s parliament cannot mandate action but may receive an official response from the government.

Parliament is currently suspended and is not due to resume until March 24.

According to the government, Canadian citizenship may be revoked if a person has committed fraud or lied on an immigration application, or served in a foreign army in an armed conflict against Canada.