Vietnamese Refugees in Canada

During the 1960s and 1970s, Canada was sensitive to the desperate plight of refugees from other countries with a dictatorial system. It accepts refugees from Hungary, following the failed uprising of 1956, and Czechoslovakia , where the Soviet Union crushed the political reform movement in 1968. to relax the normal immigration procedure to accommodate its share of refugees. In subsequent years, Canada is also abandoning its usual criteria for admitting political refugees from Uganda, Chile and other countries. In all these cases, refugees are admitted according to exceptional measures.

In 1978, Canada promulgated a new Immigration Act which, for the first time, affirmed its commitment to help refugees who had fled oppression, that is, people who had legitimate reasons to believe that they risk being persecuted if they stay in their country. As a result, refugees are no longer admitted to Canada on an exceptional basis. Their admission is governed by the Immigration Act and Regulations. Nevertheless, the admission of refugees remains controversial and the application of the terms of the law raises many difficulties.

At first glance, the admission of refugees seems rather simple. Each year, Canada's goal is to accept a number of immigrants as refugees. However, there are two very different ways for them to enter Canada. Most are scrupulously selected abroad. In collaboration with other countries and with various international refugee agencies, Canadian immigration officials go overseas to interview and select refugees from among those who have often found asylum in Canada. a neighboring country. This process usually runs smoothly.If you are finding a trusted consultant than check Canadian Skilled Immigration Consultant

Vietnamese refugees in Quebec

The other route taken by refugees to enter Canada is much more controversial. Some people who have not been selected by immigration officials abroad go on their own to Canada and then seek political asylum there. In Gander, Newfoundland, for example, where flights between Eastern European countries and Cuba make a stopover, passengers get off the plane and claim refugee status. Men, women and children who have fled the horrors of war and persecution in Central America, Africa, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and China have also sought refuge in Canada .

Once in Canada, each national proclaims himself a refugee on the grounds of fear of persecution in his country. In a world where torture and politically motivated killings are unfortunately commonplace, the responsibility for determining whether or not the person is a refugee rests with Canadian immigration officials. To this end, Canada has developed a method for resolving refugee cases on its territory to review each claim. If the applicant is recognized as a legitimate refugee, he is granted the right to remain in Canada as an immigrant. Otherwise, the applicant may be deported.

1980s and 1990s

In the 1980s, the number of people entering and applying for refugee status in Canada increased, and the review process found it difficult to process all applications expeditiously. These people often receive a mixed reception from Canadians who fear that many refugee claimants, even those who have successfully passed the selection test, may not be genuine refugees, but rather individuals who have found there a way to get around the harsh rules of Canadian immigration.

Others accuse refugees of abusing the "system" by impeding the process of selecting immigrants and legitimate refugees. Some also claim that by granting refugee status within Canada, Canada denies itself to choose from a pool of refugees from abroad and ultimately to accept those who are best suited to it. Canada, it is argued, must choose its refugees and not allow refugees to choose Canada.

In the late 1980s, the refugee issue dramatically resurfaced when two ships illegally entered a port on the east coast of the country, carrying Sikhs and Tamils ​​who, once disembarked, claimed refugee status. In some quarters, there is an exaggerated fear that Canada will be on the verge of being flooded with refugees. Parliament and the authorities concerned are beginning to tighten immigration regulations and their enforcement.

This results in streamlining and hardening of the assessment process, as well as a reduction in the refugee review period and hence in the waiting time. Although a number of Canadians are concerned that these changes may prevent refugees who meet the admission criteria from remaining in the country, immigration authorities have recently begun to work closely with other countries and with transportation companies to make it more difficult for prospective refugees to travel to Canada. This concerted effort boils down to a ban.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, as we try to curb the influx of refugees into the country, Canada opens new avenues for other immigrants, especially those with useful skills. and financial resources. The Conservative government of Brian Mulroney is the first to invite immigrants to Canada who have capital and want to invest in Canadian companies or who have the financial resources and skills to start a business, create jobs and contribute to the economy. prosperity of Canada. Many will respond to this invitation.

As well, the number of entrepreneurs or business people who immigrated to Canada jumped dramatically from 1% to 6%. Among them, a large group of Hong Kong immigrants, who feared the consequences of the return of this territory to China in 1997, left their country to protect their families and assets. Many of them agree to come to Canada and invest in it. As a result, Canada is becoming a destination of choice for Hong Kong and Chinese nationals as well as a safe haven for capital

Between 1981 and 1983, Chinese immigrants will invest $ 1.1 billion in the Canadian economy. Most of these immigrants move to Vancouver and Toronto. The Chinese community is now the largest immigrant group in these two cities. Nevertheless, many of these immigrants do not speak English or French when they arrive in Canada. This leads to a tightening of Canadian language requirements.

Immigration from Africa (mainly from South Africa, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda and Nigeria) is also growing in recent years. 1980 and 1990. Some of these immigrants are professional graduates in search of better working conditions in Canada. But the vast majority of them are refugees fleeing war, famine and the political and economic instability of their countries of origin.

Due to the slowing economy in the 1990s, immigration is once again the subject of public debate. Nothing is more natural, considering the influence of immigration on Canadian society. Although many economists argue that Canada, which has a relatively low birth rate and an aging population, needs the energy, skills, capital and purchasing power of immigrants, many do not share this opinion. Some of them argue that in a "new economy" with a relatively small labor force, immigrants, at least those of the class that Canada has historically welcomed, are no longer needed.

 According to other Canadians, if certain criteria are not changed, immigrants will not bring the expected wealth to the country, but instead will seize the few remaining jobs. In addition, with the arrival of a large majority of non-European immigrants, part of the population is concerned about changing the character of urban Canada, not to mention the racial tensions that may occur in Canadian society. This public debate on immigration to Canada remains nonetheless civilized and we are far from the violent reactions to the massive influx of immigrants to France and Germany during the same period.

Immigration to Canada since September 11, 2001

The events of September 11, 2001, the terrorist threat and security issues will result in a direct tightening of Canadian immigration policy . In June 2002, the adoption of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) limits the admission of certain categories of less wealthy immigrants, requires higher qualifications and modifies employment requirements to support multi-skilled workers in an ever-changing labor market.
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