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Overview of the History of Canada’s Immigration PolicyResearched by Janet DenchCompiled by Loly Rico and Kemi JacobsCanadian Council for Refugees

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People have been coming to Canada for many years ………….

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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…..

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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

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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.

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1906 Immigration Act passed to stop

‘undesirable immigrants’

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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’

Deportationsincreaseddramatically!!

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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

                                    

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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

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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”

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War Initiatives - Terror suspects???

                                          

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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…..

WartimeElections Act

(1917) Disenfranchised

all persons from ‘enemy alien’ countries who had been naturalized since 1902

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And for women…. (No – not these women)

                                          

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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)

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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’

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Chinese Immigrants Under Attack

Several

restrictive

laws come

into effect

                                          

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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….

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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.

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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

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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

                                          

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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)

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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

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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)

                                          

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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.

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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

                                   

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’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

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’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

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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

                                          

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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

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’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

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Many women came to Canada under the Domestic Worker program….

                                                                                        

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THE 1986 ‘ADMIN REVIEW’

The ’86 Administrative Review …MADE MANY PEOPLE HAPPY

                                          

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BUT IN 2003, MANY PEOPLE ARE STILL LIVING

IN GREAT UNCERTAINY BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE LEGAL STATUS                                           

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Which policies and challenges are affecting today’s refugees and immigrants?

IRPA and lack of a Refugee Appeal Division Bill C-36 (Anti-terrorism Act) War on Terror and Focus on Security (project identity,etc) Safe Third Country Agreement Reuniting families Access to professions and trades Racism Obtaining ‘legal’ status Anti-immigrant/refugee sentiment