National Economic Effects of Government's Immigration Policies in Canada Essay

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National Economic Effects of Government's Immigration Policies In Canada

A geographically big nation that has a comparatively little population, Canada has traditionally been able to observe immigration as an important tool of population and economic development. Over its history, nevertheless, immigration significances and approaches have changed meaningfully, from an open border tactic in Canada's initial history, to strategy that could be branded as openly discriminatory, to an economically absorbed style. This essay gives an outline to immigration policy in Canada and looks into immigration in the context of economic effects of Government's immigration policies in Canada with detailed focus on its history, key legislation and agencies in this area, and current debates/issues.

History of Canadian Immigration Policy

After the Confederation in 1867, immigration policy at that time was a top priority of the new federal government. This policy which was able to bring in a large influx of immigrants was observed as a key economic strategy to boost national demand for domestic goods and arouse the country's small manufacturing subdivision. Furthermore, Canada observed to immigrants to settle the mainly vacant lands in the west as a way of safeguarding national power in these parts.

Throughout the First World War, the federal government enforced better restrictions on migration to Canada. In the sponsorships of national security, the government got rid of all immigration from enemy countries, counting Germany, Austria, and Hungary (Kelly, N. & Trebilcock, M.). Furthermore, inhabitants from those countries previously living in Canada were documented as enemy aliens under the War Measures Act, 1914 (Knowles).

Furthermore, among the years of 1908 and 1909 about 8,000 new refugees arrived in British Columbia, typically of Japanese and East Indian basis (Green). This new trend of "non-white" immigrants shaped an abundant deal of conflict in British Columbia's "white" inhabitants. Thus of this displeasure, Vancouver residents began rebelling against the arrival of Japanese into British Columbia, because of their fear of "a Japanese attack" (Daniel, D.). Therefore, the federal government of Canada put out a bill in the Immigration Act of 1910, acknowledged as the "unceasing journey rule." (Dirks) This rule banned an entry to Canada to any immigrants, who did not come straight from their nation; short of any other stops at any other harbors along the way (Abu-Laban, Y.). Therefore, this new rule made it unbearable for the Japanese and east Indians to come into Canada, for the reason that there was no uninterrupted steamship service from either nation into Canada (Abu-Laban, Y)

In the 1940s, approaches in the direction of immigration began to change. When the Second World War ended, Canada went through unparalleled economic growth, which lessened distresses over Canadian workers losing their jobs to cheap distant labour. Furthermore, unrestricted ideas for instance the welfare state and multiculturalism started to take hold in Canadian society, nurturing better allowance of dissimilar ethnic groups and raising distresses over ethnic and spiritual discrimination.

In April 2010, the province of British Columbia and federal government announced a new inter-government contract on immigration (officially mentioned to as the Canada-British Columbia Immigration Agreement) (Abu-Laban, Y.). Under the new agenda, British Columbia safeguarded superior effect over the assortment and settlement of immigrants to the area. Furthermore, the federal government approved to hand over $114 million to the jurisdiction to back regional settlement and incorporation services (Knowles).

Economic justification for immigration

There is no decided opinion on the net influence of immigration in present times. In history, Canada's remarkably high immigration taxes can be drew to the nation's sole economy. One issue is that Canada has one of the world's major provisions of natural resources for example metals, and lumber and oil. It also has a thin populace spread over a massive scenery. Canada has therefore confronted acute labour deficiencies and has replied by vigorously penetrating for immigrants (Green). In the late 19th century this encompassed transporting Chinese refugees to construct the Canadian Pacific Railway and aggressively marketing in Europe to find farmers with the Last Best West campaign. Today similar recruitment efforts are needed to staff the oil sands projects in Alberta (Knowles).

Immigration as a Concurrent Power

Under Canada's Establishment, immigration is documented as a "concurrent power," meaning that dominion is officially shared among the federal government and the outlying areas. Under this outline, the federal government has limited dominion over "aliens and naturalization," which empowers it to regulate the amount of immigrants acknowledged to Canada, and the principles contrary to which they are designated. In this background, the federal government has presented key lawmaking, for instance the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which summaries national methods to these immigration matters (Abu-Laban, Y.). The federal government, nevertheless, has cooperated with the outlying areas to create immigration objectives and strategies, though the level of collaboration has mottled at times.

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In this respect, some regions have more aggressively contributed in immigration policy than others; the prime example, starting in the 1960s, is Quebec (Green). With a different French language and social legacy, Quebec has recognized its own section of immigration and has assigned several contracts with the Government of Canada concerning immigration strategy, standards, and targets (Kelly, N. & Trebilcock, M.).

The provinces likewise appreciate important controls over immigration policy that are related with the part they play, by means of constitutional authority, in the delivery of education and social services. Intrinsically, the jurisdictions play a significant part in immigration expenditure services, for instance housing, language education and job training. The federal government likewise contributes in this field through services and programs subsidized by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the accountable state department (Simich).

Quebec Participation in Immigration Policy

With the Quiet Rebellion and rising national self-determination in the 1960s, the Government of Quebec went after a much more active part in immigration policy (Knowles). In this setting, immigration to the area came to be professed as a utensil to reinforce the francophone nature of Quebec civilization, furthermore to being a means of upholding populace heights in the expression of deteriorating birth proportions. In 1968, the area recognized its own immigration department (Kelly, N. & Trebilcock, M.).

Quebec's device over immigration substances connecting exclusively to Quebec was protected in the 1990s, with the recruit of the Canada-Quebec As said by Immigration and Provisional Admission of Foreigners. Under this contract, and through succeeding renegotiations with the federal administration, Quebec gotten regulation over setting its own yearly immigration objectives, enjoys sole accountability for picking immigrants that settle in the area (with the exclusion of immigrants and family reunion classes), and has self-governing offices abroad for employing, broadcast, selecting, and showing immigrants. The Government of Quebec is similarly answerable for providing integration and settlement services to new immigrants to the province, with fractional federal subsidy backing (Green).

Legislative and Regulatory Structure

Canadian immigration law has a lot to do with both regulations and statutes. Statutes are legislation passed by Parliament. In the part of immigration, important statutes comprise of the Refugee and Immigration Protection Act, the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Act, and the Citizenship Act (Simich). Rules, by contrast, are procedures and rules officially accepted and edited by government actions under the authority decided to them by decrees. Important sets of guidelines in the area of immigration contain Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations and Citizenship Rules.

The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act each has the decision-making power over immigration strategy. In this setting, the Act distinguishes the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration as becoming accountable for the Act's management. The Act also distinguishes that the minister and cabinet could make any rule connecting to the Act and immigration performances. The Act and its rules also start the basic necessities persons will need to have in order to settle to Canada, and the necessities for continuing in the nation. Other important mechanisms of the Act comprise of the following: the drawing of events and bodies exact to the refugee group of immigrants, the founding of a petitions procedure for disavowal of immigration entitlements, and events for the Act's implementation (Abu-Laban, Y.).

Discrimination in Immigration Policy

As talked about from above, Canada's early immigration strategy was extremely discriminatory of definite religions and races. All through the 1960s, nevertheless, any kind of formal discrimination was efficiently taken from immigration rule when the Points System was presented. Under this system, people could not be deprived of immigration to Canada founded on their religion ethnicity, or nationality. Willpowers of who could and could not immigrate, as a minimum to the degree those economic immigrants were instead founded on one's education, language, skills, and employment.

Some opponents of Canada's immigration policy have contended, nevertheless, that the current Points System endures with discrimination, although in a more concealed way. The system does not clearly victimize on the estates of religion or race. Nonetheless, the education, skill, employment and financial requirements of the Points System signify a fence to numerous groups (Green). Not every possible immigrant has the same chances to meet the education obligation, because of the fact that available education may not be delivered in….....

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