TheStar.com - Family class backlash ignores history

TheStar.com - Family class backlash ignores history

"For nearly two decades, immigration experts have pushed the politicians to raise the threshold for admission to Canada and to whittle away the family class.

"We seem to have forgotten somewhere along the way that immigration is a social program that helps define our society, not just an economic program that brings in workers."

To read the article above and it's exposure of the metrics of current Candian immigration policy and then to read the Government's own publications on the same subject is to experience the classic "what we say" and "what we do" scenario.

The government of Canada used to tell immigrants that the reunification of families was a primary goal of it's immigration policies. Now, if you look at the CIC website (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/applications/family.html and http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/index.html ) you will notice that they don't even make a mention of how to sponsor your spouse or conjugal partner. They have literally eliminated the links. I wonder how long this has been the case, since I don't keep up on the site that frequently?

I also wonder how many potential immigrants and sponsors have had their dreams of reunification stalled by one more day, one more week, one more month because this information has been hidden from them by the government? In the US, we say if you want to cut a government program that benefits the people all you need to do is put another requirement in the way - put another hurdle up. Make it harder to access and less people will use it. I didn't think that was the Canadian way, but I am beginning to wonder...

People bemoan the cost of immigrants to a society, but I say look at the benefits. New ideas, new energy, new wealth...Please Canada, don't look to the US as your model - remain open, embrace families and help, don't hinder their reunification.