By: Bhupinder S, Liddar, Canada
OTTAWA: Liberal MP Harbance (Herb) Singh Dhaliwal told Reform Party MPs to stop playing “politics of fear” and instead recognize the contribution made by immigrants to this country. Dhaliwal was speaking in the House of Commons last week in response to remarks by Reform MP Randy Fraser representing British Columbia constituency of Fraser Valley West. White stated that “we disagree with that high a number” of 250,000 immigrants and highlighted cases including one of Jose Salinas Mendoza who was found roaming the streets of Vancouver after having been deported on rape related charges. *This is typical. They want to take the worst possible scenario and bring it forward in the House,” Dhaliwal stated. He added, “I think it is totally irresponsible. It is playing on the fears of Canadians,”
“Why do they not talk about the contributions of immigrant is to this community?” asked Dhaliwal. The Vancouver South Liberal MP added that the Reform Party “should be more responsible in ensuring that we get the true picture of the reality instead of painting distorted pictures about immigrants who contribute tremendously to Canadian society.” Reform MP Randy White responded, “Let us not cloak the issue of serious criminal immigrants in the country under the positive aspects of immigration.”
Dhaliwal also expressed “surprise that the Reform Party, with its stand on the family and how important it is to have a strong family situation, would be against bringing families together,”
Toronto area Liberal MP Jean Augustine, who is also the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, told the House of Commons last week that “What I find distressing is the lack of recognition of the continuing contribution of newcomers to this country. What I find disturbing is the ¢emphasis that is placed on the negative, destructive aspects of the modem immigration experience. What I find unacceptable is the distorted impression that this lack of recognition and negative depiction of immigrants sometimes Leaves in the minds of the Canadian public. Think about it.” Augustine, who immigrated from Grenada more than 30 years ago added that “It is the minuscule minority of immigrants who operate as petty hoods that grabs the media attention and dominate the headlines.”
MPs were making remarks on their first day back in Parliament last week on amendments (o Bill C44 introduced by Immigration Minister Sergio Marchi. According to Marchi, the amendments to the Immigration Act “are designed to help get the undesirables out of the system.” The Minister added that “The problem of immigration enforcement is not unique to Canada. It did not start with this government or even the previous one. Instead, it is a worldwide problem.” According to the Immigration Minister “The legislation will put ‘an end to the ridiculous spectacle, for instance, of an immigration and refugee board having to troop off o Kingston penitentiary to listen to a convicted murderer claiming refugee status,” The Bill will permit the government to remove the most serious and dangerous criminals from a refugee process that may have already been commenced and it will take away the power of the immigration appeal division to allow major criminals to remain in Canada on so-called humanitarian or compassionate grounds. Bill C44 will also immigration officers authority to seize documents from international mail such as passports, driver’s licenses and credit cards which could and are being used 19 circumvent immigration requirements or forge documents.
Marchi also pointed that the criminal element among recent in migrants is overstated, For instance, he pointed out to a recent research paper prepared for a law conference at Carleton University which stated “blundy that immigrants were under represented in the criminal population.” Bloc Quebecois Immigration critic Osvaldo Nunez told the House of Commons that his party supports amendments to the immigration legislation. Nunez stated that when in 1974 he and thousands of other Chileans fled their country following a military coup they “were very well received by the people of Quebec who were profoundly generous.” But Nunez added, “However, today 1am profoundly sad because of this ant-immigrant sentiment in Canada and because of the anti-refugee sentiment in Canada.”
According to Immigration Minister Sergio Marchi, in 1953 Canada admitted some 81,000 skilled and/or business workers, some24,000 refugees and reunited JES people, with their families.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 30, 1994
