How well do Canada’s immigration laws and policies

respond to immigration issues?

IntroductionMany immigrants from around the world

have made Canada their home. It is Canada’s goal that immigrants benefit from emigrating from their country of origin to Canada.

Over time, immigration to Canada has changed. Over the years, waves of immigrants have come from France, the United Kingdom, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and, more recently, from Eastern Asia and Southeast Asia.

CurrentlyIt is predicted that by 2031, at least one in

four people in Canada will have been born elsewhere.

Let’s take a closer look at an article from the Edmonton Journal dated March 10, 2010. Be prepared to take some notes.

CurrentlyBased on what you know so far, answer the

following questions:

1. What if the Canadian government stopped all immigration to Canada?

2. As you see it, what might some benefits to multiculturalism be? What might some challenges be? In your opinion, is multiculturalism more of a benefit or more of a disadvantage to the country as a whole? Give reasons to explain your response.

NotesThroughout the years, there have been many

different reasons why people have chosen to leave their country of origin or their region. These reasons for leaving are called push factors.

Push factors may include government conflicts, poor standard of living, lack of basic needs, or war.

Canada has been chosen as a new home for many immigrants. These immigrants have chosen Canada because of its many pull factors.

Pull factors are reasons that attract immigrants to a certain country or region. Pull factors may also be of a political or an economic nature, or these factors may be related to health and security.

Examples of some of Canada’s pull factors include democratic government, the many employment opportunities, publicly funded health care, and the safety and security of a nation that all Canadians take pride in.

Canada is a multicultural nation with a diverse population. This population is made up of immigrants or descendants of immigrants who have found many different corners of Canada to call their home.

KelownaSaskatoonReginaVancouver

Many stories can be heard across Canada. People from around the world have started new lives in our growing nation. Canada is a nation that is built on the experiences of immigrants.

In Toronto alone, if you listen closely, you may be able to hear over 100 different languages or dialects being spoken. Immigrants to Canada have helped build a nation of opportunity and prosperity.

Let’s look at the multimedia piece titled 1oo Years of Immigration to Canada.

Think about which push and pull factors may have affected immigration in the past. Be prepared to reflect on how Canada has benefitted historically from immigration.

100 years of immigration to Canada (1901-2001)

Canada is a nation boasting many good qualities. Immigrants continue to choose Canada as the place to build their new homes and lives for many reasons.

For example, many immigrants came to Canada in the late 1800s and early 1900s because of a widespread, federally-funded advertising campaign offering free land for homesteading. This campaign and others like it appealed to those seeking land on which they could settle and which they could farm. Immigrants saw the land as a way to create new and bright opportunities for themselves and their families in the new world.

Examine the following posters to see how Canada has advertised itself to potential immigrants in the past.

What qualities about Canada do these posters show or suggest to you? What do you think that these posters would have suggested to immigrants?

At the time that this advertising campaign was running, the help of many new farmers was required if Canada was going to successfully settle the West.

These and other posters were made to show how the West would look if farmers settled there and developed the land—you would surely see successful farms, healthy livestock grazing in large pastures, and bountiful crops.

The government sent advertisements to Great Britain, the United States, and Eastern Europe. While the posters painted a rosy picture of prosperity and success, many settlers found the reality of settling in the West to be much different from the picture they had been presented.

How are immigration laws today different than in the past?During the early years of immigration to

Canada, the policy was based on where each immigrant came from and what each individual could do to help settle Canada. Canada’s immigration policy favoured allowing European immigrants to come to Canada over immigrants from other parts of the world.

Historically, this caused people to consider portions of Canada’s immigration policy racist. Canada addressed this concern in April 1978 with the new Immigration Act. The act focused on four classes of immigrants: refugees, families, assisted relatives, and independent immigrants.

Now, there are new and different reasons for immigration. These might include a better quality of life, shelter for refugees, or a need for employment.

Today, no one is excluded from entering Canada because of their race or their country of origin.

Currently, the immigration policy still focuses on classes, but includes attributes such as age, health, and education.

Assignment:Brainstorm a list of qualities, or pull factors,

that you believe would influence a potential immigrant to choose Canada as a place to build his or her new life.

Once you have a list of five or more qualities, rank those qualities in order from 1 to 5 or higher; 1 representing the quality that has the most influence on potential immigrants, 5 representing the quality that has the least influence on potential immigrants, and so on.

What criteria does Canada use when accepting immigrants and refugees?

Canada’s Immigration PolicyThe government has also established policies

for evaluating potential immigrants and for controlling the number of immigrants who are accepted into Canada each year.

However, not just anyone can immigrate to Canada. The Canadian government has established the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which outlines the classes and criteria that are used to determine who may be accepted as an immigrant to Canada.

Immigration and Refugee Protection ActThe Immigration and Refugee Protection Act of

2002 has four categories:

Economic Immigrants: This includes skilled workers and business people. It is important for Canada to bring skilled workers who can help maintain, secure, and build on the country’s economy.

Family Class: This class includes the family members—spouses, partners, children, parents, and grandparents—of people already living in Canada. Families are valued as an integral part of Canada’s identity.

Refugees: This includes people who are seeking to escape persecution, torture, or cruel and unusual punishment. Canada has a reputation of being a safe country that provides all immigrants with opportunities for safe and improved futures.

Other: This class includes people who are accepted for humanitarian or compassionate reasons.

Turn to page 167 of your textbook, and examine the pie chart explaining the percentage of immigrants that are accepted from each category.

Read “Some Objectives of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, 2002” on the bottom of the page.

Complete the BTQ located near the bottom right-hand corner of page 167.