There's been much griping from the opposition parties and immigration activists recently in response to the changes proposed to Canada's immigration system included in the 2008 budget implementation bill. People have levelled charges against the government that it is racist, xenophobic and the like. But the NDP, some Liberals, and the immigrant-lobby need to stop foaming at the mouth and get a grip of reality. First, Canada has long been generous in its welcoming of immigrants, so the charges that Canada's government is racist are unfounded. If any country should be able to tinker with its immigration system without being subject to such insults it is Canada. Second, our immiragtion system needs repair. There's almost a 6 year, 1 million person backlog. We have no way of prioritizing immigrants based on skills and expertise. We can't even successfully deport immigrants who break the laws as we've seen over and over again (most recently with the Laibar Singh case - http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=407204)
So the changes proposed by the government are long overdue. These changes would allow the Immigration Minister to give orders to agents and officials to prioritize certain classes of immigrant claims. For example, Canada is starving for doctors and nurses, so let's bump those immigrants who are doctors and nurses to the front of the line. The Canadian economy can't find enough masonry workers or welders? Why not prioritize those immigrants who have those skills? Immigration should work for both the immigrant and the country, and its been a one way street for too long--it's time the Canadian economy and Canadian society got more out of this deal.
Canada has every right to decide to fast-track immigrants with relevant skills who are looking to start a new life and build new Canadian families. And if this comes at the expense of immigrants in line for family-reunification (those are the grandparents, parents, spouses, partners, children, and orphaned nieces and nephews that every Canadian can sponsor) than too bad. There will still be plenty of room for those type of immigrants, as there has always been. I just see no problem with Canada granting citizenship to a few more surgeons and a few less grandmothers. Is it not fair to say one will contribute more than the other? Are we all too afraid to point that out? Let's foster those immigrants who are the best and brightest, those who want to contribute to building a better Canada, rather than those who feel entitled to transplant their entire social network here.
Canada has every right to prioritize its immigrants. It has every right to decide who gets to immigrate, how many, and how long it will take. The opponents of these changes are the same activists who think immigration is a right and demand that Canada must accept everyone, all the time, without exception. Canada is a country that welcomes immigrants from around the world and has been for decades. It's too bad our elected officials can't propose changes and reforms to the system without being attacked and berated. But for what it's worth, the government's got my vote on this one.
1 comment:
I'm simply amazed at the hypocrisy of NDP, Liberal and Green party-types, who--claiming to be pro-environment--push for mass immigration. The staggering urban sprawl problem is caused by the intake of over a quarter million immigrants a year, period. No amount of fanciful New Urbanist planning will arrest the loss of farmland and greenspace caused by a bulging population, mostly fuelled by immigration. Aside from ethno lobbies (like Olivia Chow's constituents), the real push for mass immigration comes from Canada's powerful housing and development industry. All of this talk of addressing labour shortages and the pension system are bogus. Canada needs a hard cap on immigration and population, like proposed in the UK.
We can't be a safety valve for the developing world. Countries like India and Pakistan need to adopt responsible population-control policies and not offload their population surplus on North America. The environmental movement also needs to get a spine--not like the Sierra Club, who accepted over U.S.$100M (from David Gelbaum), to NOT discuss immigration. Aside from the sprawl problem, we have immigrants unable to function in either of our official languages, gangs (e.g., the aptly-named Fresh Off The Boat Killers), hitherto unknown social ills like honour killings, clitorectomies, and khat and doda addicts.
What we need IS an uncensored debate on immigration.
Adam C. Sieracki
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