Seems this is the year for immigration crackdowns.
It started with Obama’s crackdown on illegal immigrants, and now, Canada’s engaging in its own, much smaller version of a crackdown. This one, targetting Czech refugees. The Harper government ended up lifting the previously in effect visa requirements for Czech tourists and other such visitors coming to Canada in 2007, and the number of refugee claims pretty well exploded–over 3000 since then, as compared to just 5 while the requirement was in place. Many of these refugees went on to accomplish such amazing feats as claiming welfare and other social assistance services, effectively being a drain on what is now an already drained economy.
As it stands now, the EU hasn’t done much beyond criticise Canada’s reaction to the problem, although they did go on to say they would be speaking to diplomatic officials on the matter in short order. The Czech Republic, for its own efforts, has apparently recalled its ambasador to Canada in protest. It does take sometimes as long as 5 years for a legitimate immigrant to gain entry into Canada. If this is a contributer to that backlog, as some are quick to claim it is, I wouldn’t be surprised if that becomes a more permanent fix to the current situation.
The visa requirement was extended to Mexico, as well, many of who’s immigrants end up in Canada and also filing refugee applications–often times after being deported from the US. They, like the Czech immigrants, more often than not don’t go on to do a whole lot beyond collecting social assistance. In a time when a growing number of Canadians are out of work and looking to social programs for assistance until they can get back into the workforce, and in a time when Canada is contemplating an easing of some of the mentioned social assistance programs because of the economic problems we’re now seeing, any steps to curb this type of immigration practice is welcomed with open arms. Now, if we can just talk the immigration department out of certain other practices.
