people have been coming to canada for many years …………
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Overview of the History of Canada’s Immigration Policy Researched by Janet Dench Compiled by Loly Rico and Kemi Jacobs Canadian Council for Refugees. People have been coming to Canada for many years …………. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
04/22/23 1
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