Immigration: Issues facing
Canada
Immigration
• What is immigration?
• The process of people establishing homes, and
often citizenship, in a country that is not their
native country.
Roots of immigration to Canada
• Everyone in Canada (except for people of
Aboriginal descent) are immigrants… it
just depends when we came here.
• Immigration to what is now Canada started
with the “Age of Imperialism” and
continued on to establish British North
America, Upper and Lower Canada, and
finally the country we know today.
Roots of immigration cont’d…
• Imperialism was an age when countries
expanded beyond their borders and
wanted to control other areas of the world.
Great Britain and France were the powers
that controlled the area we know as
Canada.
Roots of immigration cont’d
• Of course, we know that when the
explorers “discovered” North America,
there were already people living there.
• The native peoples became colonized and
found themselves under the rule of the
“mother country” (Britain or France in
Canada)
What immigration means in
Canada
• Canada has a tradition of immigration and
has had many different policies concerning
immigration and refugee admittance to
Canada
• At times Canada has embraced
immigration openly, while at other times
we have closed our doors.
• Why might a country like Canada have
different policies at different times?
What immigration means in
Canada
• Examine the images and captions on page
163 of your text and consider:
“What challenges and opportunities does
immigration create for Canada today?”
Think Critically…
• Why might people WANT to come to
Canada?
• What factors might contribute to the
decision to come to Canada?
• What factors might contribute to the
government allowing people to enter or
turning them away.
Policies of the Past
• In the past, Canada favored people of
British ancestry and restricted immigration
from Asian countries.
•
See film Passport to Canada: Land of Hope – Joe Mah
Apology for the Chinese Head Tax
Policies of the Past
• Why would Canada’s government favor
certain countries or areas of the world over
others?
Implications of Immigration Policies
• Most immigrants were from British
colonies
• Most immigrants were men
• What does this mean for Canada?
Immigration and Refugee
Policies of Today
• Today no one is excluded because of race
or country of origin… today people are
assessed based on skills and education.
Family Class
Immigration/Refugee policies of
Today
• Immigration in Canada is governed by the
immigration and Refugee Protection Act (2002)
• It establishes categories and objectives outlining
who can come to Canada
– Ex. Categories: Refugees, Family Class, Economic
immigrants, Other
– Ex. Objectives: respect the bilingual and multicultural
character of Canada; reunite families in Canada;
pursue social, cultural and economic benefits for all
Canadians.
Why Immigration?
• There are over 33 million people in
Canada… why do we need more?
• Read the excerpt from Citizenship and
Immigration Canada on p. 168 in your text
• Demographic: to do with the
characteristics of populations
• Labor Force Growth: the growth of the
number of people who can work
Why Immigration?
• What implications do the ideas expressed
in your text have on the lives of
Canadians?
• What do you think the government policy
would be towards immigration considering
the current economic downturn in the
world today?
Who is allowed in?
• Canada has a points system to allow
people into Canada based on their
education and work background.
• The points system applies to only
economic immigrants. Family and refugee
class has a different system of entry
• The immigrants using the Points system
are the biggest group of immigrants to
enter Canada.
Who is allowed in?
• Economic immigrants must provide proof that
they are in good health.
• They may be refused entry if:
– Their health could put Canadians at risk (ex.
Tuberculosis)
– They have a condition that could endanger public
safety
– Their health could put an “excessive demand” on
Canada’s health system (ex. HIV/AIDS)
• Take Self assessment
Who is allowed in?
•
•
•
•
Family class immigrants must have a sponsor to enter the country.
Canadian citizens and permanent residents living in Canada who are 18 or
older can sponsor close relatives who want to become permanent residents
of Canada.
Sponsors must promise to support the relative or family member for a
period to three to ten years to help them settle in Canada.
The “close relatives” that are included for sponsorship include:
–
–
–
–
Parents and grandparents
Dependent children
Siblings, nephews/nieces or grandchildren who are orphans
Any other relative if you have none of the above in Canada or abroad
The key objective of this family class immigration is family reunification.
The applicants and their family members are subject to medical, criminal, and
background checks.
Who is allowed in?
• The applicants and their family members
are subject to medical, criminal, and
background checks.
• Even with these checks, the same health
restrictions do not apply to refugee or
family-class immigrants
•Passport to Canada: Land of Hope - Isabel
Refugee Status
• Refugee: a person who seeks refuge in
another country because of danger or
persecution in their home country.
• Why might Canada have a different
category for refugees?
Iraq
Boarder
Refugee Status
• As part of Canada’s commitment to the
UN (United Nations) we signed the
Convention relating to the Status of
Refugees (1951).
• In the 1950’s and 60’s Canada offered
shelter to refugees in response to specific
world crises
• In 1976 policy changed to allow a steady
flow of refugees instead of on a crisis by
crisis basis.
Objectives of Refugee Status
• Save lives and offer protection to people who
are displaced and persecuted
• Grant fair consideration to people who claim to
be persecuted, as an expression of Canada’s
humanitarian ideals
• Offer refuge to people facing persecution
because of race, religion, political opinion or
membership in a social group, and to people
who face torture, or cruel and unusual treatment
of punishment.
Changes in policy…
• Policy surrounding refugee status has
changed in Canada since 9/11
• Look at the two sections of immigration
law from 1976 and 2002 on p. 179 in your
text.
• Briefly outline the differences and how the
changes may have been influenced by
world events.
The Charter and Immigration
• In the past, immigrants claiming refugee
status had no recourse if their claim was
refused.
• In 1985 that changed and refugees now
have the opportunity to plead their case in
a hearing
• This right was granted under section 7 of
the Charter which grants fundamental
freedoms to “everyone who is physically
present in Canada”
Where do immigrants go?
• According to the map on p. 188, 68% of
immigrants to Canada settle in Toronto,
Montreal or Vancouver. Why might that
be?
• What could Canada do to encourage
immigrants to settle in other areas?
Provincial Influence
• Although immigration is a federal
government concern, the provinces can
have some say in immigration
• Ex. If Alberta needs more engineers, or
trade trained workers, they can “nominate”
that immigrants allowed into Canada
would have those types of skills
Provincial Influence
• The Canada-Quebec Accord (formal agreement)
allows Quebec to nominate immigrants that suit
their population needs
• The accord allows Quebec to require immigrants
to send their children to French language
schools and allows them to seek French
speaking immigrants.
• Overall, more non-French speaking immigrants
settle in Quebec than Francophone immigrants.
Your Task
• You are going to create a passport and fill
out immigration papers based on “your”
situation to try to enter Verklania
• Be sure you fill out your required paper
work in FULL… Verklania immigration can
be very particular about who they let in!
• See assignment sheet