Overview of the History of Canada

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Overview of the History of Canadas 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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Canadas 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

• Handicap
• Becoming an inmate of a prison or hospital
• Infirmity
• Committing crimes of moral turpitude
• Deportations
• increased
• dramatically!!

• 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

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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 govts 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

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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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1920sAttacks 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.
  Canadas 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

• Govt resistance to pressure for a more open
  immigration policy began to give way in the mid
  40s 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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• Govt 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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60s 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
todays 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