A10 history of canada immigration policy
-
Upload
settlementatwork -
Category
Business
-
view
2.317 -
download
0
description
Transcript of A10 history of canada immigration policy
04/10/2023 1
Overview of the History of Canada’s Immigration Policy
Researched by Janet Dench (CCR) and Ana Rico (FCJ Refugee Centre)
04/10/2023 2
People have been coming to Canada for many years ………….
04/10/2023 3
Canada’s immigration policies (or lack thereof) have always had significant impacts on the people who were allowed to come
Early ‘policy’ was very simple…..
04/10/2023 4
1896 - 1905
“I think that a stalwart peasant in a sheepskin coat, born to the soil, with a stout wife and a half dozen children, is good quality”
Clifford Sifton, Ministry of Interior
04/10/2023 5
1901 census Population 5,371,315 96% of European
origin 13% population were
immigrants 55% foreign-born were
citizens 4% Chinese were
citizens 43% immigrants
female 41% pop of British
origin 31% French 22,050 Chinese 17, 347 Blacks 16,131 Jews
In 1901 the Chinese Head tax doubled from the 1885 level of $50 to $100.
04/10/2023 6
1906
Immigration Act passed to stop ‘undesirable immigrants’
04/10/2023 7
This Act
Expanded the list of ‘prohibited immigrants’
Allowed deportation of immigrants within 2 (then 3 then 5) years of landing for …. Becoming a public
charge Insanity Disease
Handicap Becoming an
inmate of a prison or hospital
Infirmity Committing
crimes of ‘moral turpitude’
Deportations
increased
dramatically!!
04/10/2023 8
Arrival of Sikhs in BC in 1906-07 resulted in an “anti-Asiatic” parade which ended in a riot
State the purpose of the discussion Identify yourself
04/10/2023 9
1908 - 1910 Chinese Immigration Act amended to
increase those under the head tax and expand list of prohibited persons
Border inspection service created at US-Canada border
Continuous journey rule imposed New Act allowed Canada to prohibit
immigrants belonging to any race deemed unsuitable and expanded deportation grounds to include immorality and political offences;
New Act introduced concept of ‘domicile’ First Caribbean Domestic Scheme
04/10/2023 10
CENSUS 1911:Population 7,206,643 97% population of European origin 22% population immigrants 47% of these naturalized (9% Chinese,
22% Japanese) 39% of immigrants were women Population: 54% British origin 29% French origin 75,681 Jews 27,774 Chinese, 9,021 Japanese 3,342 ‘Hindus”
04/10/2023 11
War Initiatives - Terror suspects???
04/10/2023 12
Special Measures….War Measures Act .. Increased govt’s power to arrest, detain and
deport ‘Enemy aliens’ forced to register themselves and
subjected to many restrictions 8,000 – 9,000 ‘enemy aliens’ interned.. …..released in response to labour shortages…..
Wartime
Elections Act (1917) Disenfranchised all persons from ‘enemy
alien’ countries who had been naturalized since 1902
04/10/2023 13
And for women…. (No – not these women)
04/10/2023 14
And for the women…… Women's division created in 1919
within Immigration Dept to ‘care’ for single women immigrants
1919 .. Immigration Act amended to add new grounds for denying entry and deportation – alcoholism, illiteracy.
Classes of immigrants could be denied entry because of unsuitability, peculiar habits, modes of life or holding property
British-born subject to deportation on political grounds (Winnipeg general strike)
04/10/2023 15
1921 Census Population 8,787,949 97.5% European origin 22% immigrants 44% immigrants female 58% of foreign-born
naturalized citizens 55% pop British origins 33% French origins 126,196 Hebrews 39,347 Chinese 23,342 Japanese 18, 291 ‘Negroes’
04/10/2023 16
Chinese Immigrants Under Attack
Several
restrictive
laws come
into effect
04/10/2023 17
1920’s…Attacks on Chinese Immigrants….
Opium and Narcotic Drug Act led to deportations: 35% of all the deportations in ’23-’24 in Pacific Division
1923 Order issued excluding ‘any immigrant of any Asiatic race’ – except agriculturalists, farm labourers, female domestic servants and wife and children of persons legally in Canada
Chinese Immigration Act – more prohibitions.. Humiliation Day
Doors opened to British citizens, Americans and citizens of ‘preferred countries’. Limitations placed on immigrants from Austria, Hungary, Poland, etc….
04/10/2023 18
Overt Targeting Of Identified Populations Characterized this period. …
1930… Order further prohibited the landing of ‘any immigrant of any Asiatic race’ except wives and minor children of Cdn citizens
Order requiring Chinese and Japanese to renounce their former citizenship before becoming citizens; impact on Japanese.
Deportations on grounds of becoming public charge increased – from 1930 to ’34 the deportations on this ground increased 6x.
04/10/2023 19
A time of terror…. Communist party made
illegal – grounds for deportation (’31)
Deportation of unemployed
’31 political deportations legalized
’32 Red Raid In ’34 94% of
applications for naturalization refused
Political deportations
04/10/2023 20
Faith communities join with others To advocate for Jewish
refugees (’38) Opposed by many anti-
Semitic groups Cdn National Cttee on
Refugees and Victims of Persecution formed
Cttee focused on individual cases, as unsuccessful in affecting policy
04/10/2023 21
Reluctant moves on refugee issues…..
’38 Canada reluctantly participated in Evian Conference on refugees with ‘NO’ mandate. Canada’s immigration department was anti-Semitic (“None is too many”)
Canada takes some German refugees, but insists on higher payment from Britain
In response to ’38 refugee crisis, Canada insisted it would accept only those who met categories for admissible immigrants
2,500 “potentially dangerous enemy aliens” brought to Canada from Britain) and interned (in fact many were Jews)
04/10/2023 22
Census ‘41 Population 11,506,6755 98% pop of European
origin 18% immigrants 45% of these female 71% of immigrants
naturalized 50% population of British
origin 30% French origin 170,241 Jews 34,627 Chinese 22,174 Africans
04/10/2023 23
The End of WW II – Some Change
Gov’t resistance to pressure for a more open immigration policy began to give way in the mid ’40;s with:
Sponsorships Identity documents Citizenship Act Emergency
measures for refugees (economic considerations)
04/10/2023 24
However… the ’52 Immigration Act still … Gave the Minister and officials
significant powers over selection, admission and deportation.
Allowed refusal on grounds of nationality, ethnic group, area of origin, peculiar customs, unsuitability re: climate, rate of assimilation, sexual orientation, etc.
04/10/2023 25
Gov’t allowed 4 groups to select and process immigrants in ’53
Oops! Conflict arose because the groups (churches) selected the people most in need!!
’54 Bar Assn criticized the arbitrary exercise of power by immigration officials and called for a quasi-judiciary Immigration Appeals Board
04/10/2023 26
’61 Census followed restriction of admission of family members (temporary) & ’60 Bill of Rights ….
Population 18,238,247 96.8% population European 15% immigrants 63% of these were citizens 44% population of British origin 30% French origin
04/10/2023 27
’60’s Brought Significant Changes …..
’62 – removal of much racial discrimination with new immigration regulations;
Assisted loan program extended to Caribbean
’66 White paper promoting a balance btwn economic interest and family relationship
’67 – Points system 1969 Canada finally signs Refugee
Convention & Protocol
04/10/2023 28
Opening the doors…. ’71 Multiculturalism
policy announced Many immigrants
and refugees from new source countries
’74 – Creation of ISAP program
’78 New Immigration Act which identified 4 categories
Refugee sponsorship program
04/10/2023 29
1981 Census
Population 24,083,500 86% had single European origin 16% immigrants 47% of these female 69% immigrants were citizens 40% population British origin 27% French Greater variety in countries of origin
of immigrants
04/10/2023 30
THE 1986 ‘ADMIN REVIEW’
The ’86 Administrative Review …MADE MANY PEOPLE HAPPY
Bill C-55completely revised the refugee determination system creating IRB
Proposed two stage process with exception for refugees passing a safe third country which received opposition from refugee advocates
Eventually came into effect in 1989
04/10/2023 31
04/10/2023 32
’91 Census….. (domestic worker program, special measures for Salvadorans, CSIS, Singh, ’86 administrative review to clear up backlog, creation of IRB for oral hearings)
Population 26,994,045 66% single European origin 16% population were immigrants 81% of these were citizens 51% immigrants female
1990s Overview1990: East European Self-Exiled Class eliminated with fall of iron curtain
1993:Bill C-86 proposed restrictive revisions to the refugee determination system
1995: Right of Landing Fee modern version of the head tax
Bill C-44 restricted right to appeal for permanent residents
1999: in July 123 Chinese arrived off the West Coast- the first of 4 such boats that summer
04/10/2023 33
Canada Post 9/11
IRPA: Enacted in June 2002.
Safe Third Country Agreement: Enacted December 2004 made most claims at the U.S Canada
Border ineligible by declaring the U.S a safe country.
New Citizenship Bill: First introduced in 2002 and just recently passed through
parliament reduce the Canadian citizenship.
Anti-Terrorism Act.
Bill C-50 (to reduce the overseas backlog)
04/10/2023 34
04/10/2023 35
Which policies and challenges are affecting today’s refugees and immigrants?
IRPA lack of a Refugee Appeal Division Reuniting families and sponsorship Quebec changes for sponsorship
Imposition of visas for Mexicans and Czech Republic Safe Third Country Agreement
Cancel moratorium country list Immigration programs based on employment:
Provincial nominee programs Temporary workers
Refugee Reform
Economic Immigration Policy Shifts
Skilled Worker program reduced from 50% of all immigrants in 2005 to less than 40% in 2009
Applications restricted to 38 occupations in 2009 Temporary Foreign Workers increased by over 70%
between 2004 and 2009 Most of growth in TFW program is result of Low Skill
Pilot Project – not eligible for permanent residence TFWs not eligible for services Services delayed for those who qualify for Canadian
Experience Class TFWs with “closed” work permits being exploited Policy shift occurring without debate