|
|
|
Wednesday, December 01, 2010 - 5.44 GMT |
Canada for tougher immigration law
'No longer open for business' |
|
|
|
One doubts whether a single human smuggler or ship owner will ever appear in Canadian courts to face the bill's tougher penalties, but it may send out the message that the world's most generous refugee regime is no longer open for business and deter future flotillas from crossing the Pacific, The National Post said in a report published yesterday (30 Nov).
A vote on the bill, which contains a number of reforms aimed at stopping ships full of migrants from arriving in Canadian waters, will soon take place.
Polls suggest that the arrival of Tamil refugee claimants from Sri Lanka was closely watched by many Canadians last summer and nearly half of respondents to an Angus Reid survey wanted migrants deported, even if their claims were legitimate, The National Post reported.
In the wake of the arrival, support for immigration (far less the refugee system) fell, as its integrity was called into question. Even Quebecers called for drop in legal immigration, over an increase, by a four to one margin, according to the Angus Reid poll.
'The government is in motion', states The National Post, 'even if its capacity for real action is hampered by the Charter, which has created a system where our acceptance rate is three times higher than that of other developed countries'.
Canadians feel they are being taken for suckers and are demanding governments act. The Conservatives' response is an attempt to shore up the integrity of a system that is falling into disrepute.
Criticizing Liberal's opposition to the bill, the National Post states, 'perhaps it is no surprise that the Liberals oppose any reforms to Canada's immigration and refugee system. While in government, all attempts at increasing its efficiency were sabotaged by vested interests and its own MPs. But it is another indication why the party is not likely to return to power anytime soon--it is completely out of step with the mood in the country'.
There may well be flaws in the legislation that could be corrected in committee, just as all four parties compromised this year to reach agreement on a refugee reform package aimed at removing bogus claimants more quickly. But that would require at least one of the opposition parties in the House to side with the government to send it to committee.
Failure to do so will win the Liberals kudos from the small army of immigration consultants but not from voters. They appear to be sending the signal they're fed up with politicians who would weep for a stranded jellyfish but who refuse to address abuses in a system that is so obviously broken, The National Post said.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Contact Information:: Send
mail to