Canada may reduce immigration

[OhioChick]

Source: Economic Times India

12 Feb 2009, 2148 hrs IST, IANS

TORONTO: Canada may reduce the number of immigrants to be admitted this year in light of the prevailing economic crisis. Immigration and citizenship minister Jason Kenney hinted at this possibility at a meeting of an all-party parliamentary committee on citizenship and immigration in the capital Ottawa.

The current Conservative government, which is perceived by immigrants to be unfavourable to them, last year raised the number of newcomers to be admitted each year from 247,000 to 265,000. But with the national unemployment rate reaching 7.2%, the immigration minister said his government would look at reducing the number of immigrants so that newcomers don't face hardships after landing in Canada.

The minister told the committee that the government was keeping a watch on the situation. "We don't want people coming to Canada and facing unemployment. We need to be sensitive to the changing labour market, and if we need to make modifications, we will," he said.

But he was quick to add that the government will be "flexible, prudent and ensure that our response to short-term conditions does not counter our long-term goals, in which immigration will play a significant role".

As per the annual target of 265,000 immigrants, 156,600 were to come in the economic category, 71,000 in the family category and 37,400 on humanitarian grounds. The opposition parties criticised the move as a ploy by the Tory government to reduce the number of immigrants.


Read more: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Financial_crisis_Canada_may_reduce_immigration/articleshow/4120328.cms

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Smart move by Canada....taking care of their own citizens first, with such a high unemployment rate like the U.S.

[Hello_Kitty]

1. "Protectionism" is only wrong when the U.S. does it.

Other countries are free to protect their industries. But we better open our markets and jobs to everyone lest we be called "xenophobic".

[OhioChick]

4. India is doing this, as well.

India firing foreign workers to give jobs to locals

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Jobs/Expatriate_executives_making_way_for_local_hires/articleshow/4039529.cms

[crazylikafox]

16. Well then, maybe we can reciprocate & send some H1B's home.

[schmear happens]

5. Amen! And what those anti-"protectionism" advocates fail to realize

is that where America goes, so goes the world. If we are not strong, Mexico suffers, China suffers, the whole world suffers. Having foreign workers given jobs over natives is not good policy for economic stability and Canada realizes this (as I imagine the rest of the world does, as well).

Look at our policy regarding automatic citizenship for those born on American soil. As I understand it, you won't find similar policies in other countries! The child's citizenship is determined by their parent/s'.

[ghurley]

13. best thing this country could do would be to change the automatic citizenship. n/t

[ghurley]

14. best thing this country could do would be to change the automatic citizenship. n/t

[high density]

10. I was thinking the same thing

Last week I was listening to the BBC World Service and they had people bitching and moaning on there about how protectionism never works and the USA had better continue with the status quo. If I wanted to go work in India or Germany I would be hard pressed to get in there, but they don't want reciprocal action on our part.

[honoluludaniel]

17. Yeah, but we're really evil and racist so we have to make up for it...

by opening up our borders to whoever wants in. Remember, immigration laws are just acts of racism against the oppressed! :crazy:

[ChazII]

19. Agreed.

At least that is what we are told here in Arizona.:evilgrin:

[WriteDown]

2. Why is Canada so racist?

abundant :sarcasm:

[pampango]

18. It's just the conservative government there. The liberal opposition opposes it. n/t

[kickysnana]

3. Yankee, stay home! n/t

[HeresyLives]

6. Stupid, stupid move.

But then, we have a stupid, stupid government.

[pampango]

8. Interesting difference in the American and Canadian liberals' attitude towards immigration.

Apparently, you're a Canadian progressive (" We have a stupid, stupid government.")

"The opposition parties criticised the move as a ploy by the Tory government to reduce the number of immigrants." The liberal opposition to the Conservative government are against reducing immigration. Even the conservative minister said "We don't want people coming to Canada and facing unemployment" and "(the) government would look at reducing the number of immigrants so that newcomers don't face hardships after landing in Canada". And the conservative minister even promises that their is no change in their "long-term goals, in which immigration will play a significant role". Even the party restricting immigration feels compelled (honestly?) to play it as good for the immigrants themselves, not as a measure to protect Canadians from immigrant pressures.

Perhaps it is because you have a better social safety net (national health care, greater income equality) that Canadian liberals more willing to share their society with newcomers. You can oppose immigration reductions even in hard times, while American liberals will applaud the Conservative government's immigration move. Indeed, many US progressives would be apt to be quite open that such a program here would be required to "protect American jobs" not "to protect the welfare of potential immigrants".

In some ways, Canadian society seems a lot like ours. In other ways it is almost like a "Bizarro world" opposite.

Hey, maybe you guys just put something in your water. ;)

[HeresyLives]

15. Yeah, that's me.

A Canadian progressive. :hi:

The party now in power has been trying to find a way to stop immigration for years. Well, immigration of a 'certain kind.'

White Christians are acceptable to them, no one else. This is just another excuse on their part, so that's why the opposition.

As to immigration in general, yes we have a social safety net in place, but we are also a huge mostly empty country. It's slightly bigger than the US, but with only the population of California. And we reached zero population growth some time ago.

Without immigrants we won't survive at all.

Yeah, in many ways Canadians and Americans are very different. History made us that way I guess. :)

[Eryemil]

21. I agree, the Canadian government is picky enough about who they let in that there should be...

...no need for this.
I am living here on a student visa and will probably have no problem attaining residency assuming I find a job.

[glinda]

7. Reports I am getting from CA indicate a large Middle-Eastern population moving in as

jobs are diminishing, unemployment rising. There are many that feel tired of supporting those who come in and do not hold jobs or stress their resources so hostility is rising and anger due to those from Canada who feel they are supporting them.

[benld74]

9. Gotta Go - BYE

[Edweird]

11. Yes, that IS a smart move. I wish our government cared about US that much....

[Lost in CT]

12. I thought you had to have money to immigrate to Canada anyway. NT

[ihavenobias]

20. Interesting find.

Thanks for sharing!