US Homeland Security gone wild!

Canadian border news from an article in The Canadian Press:

"Montana Rep. Julie French, D-Scobey, said the federal government is pouring $15 million in economic stimulus funds into upgrading a border crossing in her district that caters to about 10 cars a day.

"They need to be updated, yes. Fifteen million? No. I mean, common sense is what is lacking for all of this," she said."

Doing the math, that equals almost $411.00 in border security spending for every car that crosses at this remote Montana border station.

Read all about it here.

Fortress America's impact at the Canadian border

Paul Berton, in an editorial in the Winnipeg Sun, writes about the increasing difficulties trade and visitors encounter at our mutual border. Here's an excerpt:

"It is often proudly called the world's longest undefended border, but it's not exactly true. There may be no military presence between Canada and the United States, but the border is increasingly defended by law enforcement and government officials.

"The trend bodes ill for Canada's economy, and is perhaps best symbolized by the rising wall of security and bureaucracy for cross-border tourists.

"As if the recession weren't enough, citizens (with a few exceptions) of both countries must now carry a passport to cross the border.

"Before the new rules came into effect this spring, tourism was already in a tailspin -- spending fell 1.3% in the first three months of this year, the third straight quarterly decline, making it the most prolonged downturn since 9/11.

"In fact, it was as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that both countries started spending millions to beef up border security, causing longer wait times, bigger line-ups, and a growing series of bureaucratic obstacles for visitors to both countries.

"Late last year, the number of trips into Canada from the U.S. plummeted by 5.9% to 2.2 million visitors, the lowest in more than a decade. How much worse will it get now?

"The problem is bad enough for travellers, but it's particularly acute for Canadian businesses that rely on American tourists, because relatively speaking, fewer Americans feel the need for a passport -- 30% compared to 54% of Canadians. "

Read the entire editorial here.

Ottawa's money shows where it's mouth is

If you read press releases from the office of the Minister for Immigration and Multiculturalism, Jason Kenny, you'd believe all was right in the world. You'd believe that Ottawa supports a positive immigration policy, and that they stand behind immigrants, recognizing their value to the country and the economy.

But then I read that this same Minister and his office have withheld over $190 million in promised funding to Ontario that was to be dedicated to immigration and integration programs. Additionally, Ottawa was looking to cut an additional $90 million from the $920 million dollar program (though this appears to have been reinstated).

Now, why would Ottawa be messing with immigration program funding at this time? Clearly this is a nod to the economy, but its also a bow to pressure from anti-immigrant voices in the country who believe that immigrants are bad for the country and the economy and that this spending is wasted, or better used to provide services to "real" Canadians.

It's time that those who were immigrants and are now citizens speak up for those who are most in need - which happen to be each other. According to the NDP, unemployment among immigrants who have been in the country 5-10 years have experienced a climb in unemployment from 8% to a current 16%.

Read the Star article here

Happy Canada Day!

Dear Readers,
you may sometimes read this blog and think by the tone that I don't love Canada. I am fairly critical at times about the government and the CIC - I'll admit. But I LOVE Canada. In my mind there is no better country in the world, nor a country that more completely reflects my view of the world. Canadians are in general some of the nicest, most interesting people I have ever met and have a social willingness to help each other that is decidedly not like the rest of North America in a very positive way. I want to be one of them. I can't wait to be Canadian. But I have waited and I will wait.

God bless Canada, and God bless you this Canada day.

- J

Cruel Ottawa - reunification statistics exposed

Yes, Canada can be a cold place.

Especially if you are a couple separated by a border (as my love and I are). But even more so if you happen to be unlucky enough to have your spouse or partner in a country like China or from the continent of Africa.

According to an article in today's Star - "The refusal rate for Hong Kong – which also serves Guangdong, Fujian and Hainan in southern China – was 48 per cent last year, the figures reveal. From the Accra office, which serves the West African countries of Gambia, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Liberia, the rate was 46 per cent."

The article sites unnamed Canadian officials who claim the reasons for this disparity is that they suspect fraud in the relationships, but of course, the simplest thing for a low level official (or in some cases, contractor) to do is to say "no", forcing the applicant to make the expensive choice to appeal - a choice that adds an additional year or YEARS to the process depending on where you are applying from. Now add to that the condition that out-of-country applicants are not allowed to visit Canada while their request is under consideration (for fear that they will remain regardless of the outcome of their case).

The online responses to this article are unfortunately full of the vehemence typical of a number of right-wing Canadians, though a voice of reason put the situation most succinctly:

"It would help if there were enough members on the Immigration & Refugee Board to conduct hearings in a timely fashion. It would help more if decisions were not made largely based on the opinions, beliefs, and prejudices of civil servants, who are largely unaccountable because "they can always appeal if they don't like the decision". To correct the problems, however, requires something that the present government does not have - a will to change and a vision of justice.

"Submitted by Northern Cynic at 8:26 AM Tuesday, June 30 2009"

Here's the sidebar on Sponsorship Rejection rates:

SPONSORSHIP REJECTION RATES

When it comes to sponsoring a wife or husband, the country of origin affects the chance of success. Here are Canada's top 5 and bottom 5 visa offices for spousal rejections.

HIGHEST REJECTION RATES IN 2008

Hong Kong (south China), 48 per cent
Accra (West Africa), 46 per cent
Port-au-Prince, 34 per cent
Port of Spain, 33 per cent
Nairobi (East Africa), 27 per cent

LOWEST REJECTION RATES IN 2008

Taipei, 3 per cent
Sao Paulo and Caracas, 4 per cent
Sydney, 5 per cent
Buffalo, 5 per cent
London (Great Britain, Ireland, Scandinavia), 6 per cent

Read the entire article here

Case argues for access to humanitarian channel

In a case before the Canadian courts, lawyers are arguing that poor immigrant candidates who are applying under humanitarian and compassionate grounds, should have their application fee waived if they cannot afford it.

However, lawyers for the government said the access to humanitarian consideration, as opposed to access to justice in courts and tribunals, is not a right but "an exceptional relief on discretionary bases." (sic)

To me, its another interesting governmental disconnect when you call a process compassionate, yet start it with an act of self-interest (making the applicant pay a fee to be considered). Face it, while it is government's role to provide a range of agreed-to services, legislated by their MPs, it is the bureaucrats role to limit access to those same services. There's nothing like a fee to keep something out of reach.

The government is granting residency in these cases over half the time - which tells you that half the time, these people should have been let in in the first place, if only the case officer considered the WHOLE case. This avenue of last resort for immigrants is in essence a path of extortion. H/C grounds applications are "appeals" - they are heard in front of an appeals official. To say you have no right to appeal a poor judgment unless you can pay (the current standard) is highly undemocratic. Unfortunately, it is not unique to Canada.

If you can pay a fee that covers some of the overhead on your case, that's fine. But if an applicant truly can't, then come on Canada - show some real compassion.

Read the whole story here

Summer hiatus

Just a note to my loyal readers that The Mind will be taking a Summertime sojourn of sorts over the next few weeks. Be VERY surprised if you see much new, though I will try and login and keep you updated as I can. For now, travels with my love call me away from the world of immigration and blogging, but have no fear - I'll be back to provide you with the best in Canadian immigration news and commentary before you know it.

And by the way - why aren't YOU taking a break too?!

Cheers! - J

Canada prepares to get paranoid

Why does it seem at times that the government of Canada takes its lead from the worst of US policies? In an article in today's Globe and Mail, "The incoming head of Canada's spy agency says new rules requiring digital fingerprints and photos at foreign visa offices will be extended to every visitor from any country in the world..."

Newly appointed CSIS head Richard Fadden is quoted, “The intention is to capture everybody,” Mr. Fadden told MPs during an appearance before the House of Commons immigration committee yesterday. “The idea is to increase our capacity to know who is in Canada at a particular point of time.”

Sound familiar? How does "Fortress Canada" sound to you?

These plans are horribly consistent with the clampdown at US border crossings and only promise to be used as vehicles for discrimination (how's this for code-speak: “We're going to phase this in and we're going to pick countries where there are more concerns, but the intent is to cover all temporary visitors,” said Mr. Fadden.), as well as provide justification for eventually collecting a database of biometric data on all Canadians.

As Robert Heinlein wisely said, "Love your country, but never trust its government." Remember - they work for you. Tell the Tories you don't want to live in the US.

[a daily dose of imagry] embed!

Harbourfront Pedestrian Bridge in Canada

The doldrums

You know the doldrums - those latitudes near the equator where the winds rarely blow, where the still and the calm marooned sailors before the days of steam and diesel. Those are the latitudes of immigration at times for all of us who are sailing this particular ocean.

I was contacted last week by a man in New Delhi, India who was asking me about how long the process of immigration to Canada can take. I looked it up for him and discovered that for the New Delhi office, the standard - this is typical - wait, is 66 to 72 months. Without any of the complexities - if you had a rock-solid, no-problem immigration - five to six years.

It's no wonder some us feel lost at sea. Once we make a commitment to leave our home country and make a new home, it's like we've left port; we see our country diminish in the background, we see the new land in our hearts on the horizon and we ache to begin our lives there.

But until we know that we will be allowed to make our new lives where we have set our destination, we are at sea, and not knowing which way the wind will blow, or even if it ever will for us...these are our days in the doldrums.