PRESS RELEASE
Immigration Minister Sgro has disregarded warnings and has decided to fast-track immigration applications from tsunami-affected Asia. Canada is the only country in the world that has decided to use immigration as a partial solution for this natural disaster.
The decision comes after pressure from Sri Lankan Tamils was exerted on Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis whose Scarborough riding has a significant number of ex-Sri Lankan Tamils.
Critics see several big problems in the minister’s decision. One is whether it is wise to use immigration as a tool in a situation like this. Is this going to be used in other disasters such as wars in Africa and Chechnya?
Some Canadians continue to think that the solution to many problems is to “move the world to limitless and bottomless Canada” . Critics say that Canada is stepping into territory that other countries are wisely staying out of. “The question, ‘Why is Canada doing this?’ has to be asked,” says Dan Murray of Immigration Watch Canada. “Although Canadians can and should help the afflicted people, the blunt truth is that a charitable front or false front has been put on Canada’s immigration levels for over ten years by a number of MP’s. The reality is that a significant number of MP’s (mostly urban) have cynically used immigration to raise their chances of getting elected. Once again, even at this sensitive time, Canadians unfortunately have to ask whether immigration is being used to put the Minister of Immigration into a good light and resurrect her from the ashes of recent scandals? Is immigration being used to guarantee a new supply of sympathetic voters and subsequent re-election for Mr. Karygiannis and other MP’s? Canadians can already detect a strong odour from recent government actions.”
Another big question is this: “Who will be approved to come here?”
Observers have repeatedly pointed out that the billions of dollars being donated has to get to the people affected by the disaster, not to corrupt officials or gangs. Similarly, if this scheme goes ahead, who is going to guarantee that the people approved as immigrants, are really from the afflicted areas? The Immigration Minister and her department know very well that a significant number of Sri Lankan Tamils have extensively abused Canada’s immigration and refugee systems in the past. These people now exert considerable influence on Canada’s Liberal Party. There seems no doubt that these people will use the tsunami situation to try to bring in people who have been denied entry before. Many true tsunami victims are reported to have lost all their possessions, including identification documents. Canadians have to ask if a significant number of people are going to use this situation to claim they are tsunami victims in order to abuse Canadian generosity and naivete. Canadians can already smell a strong odour from this possibility.
Furthermore, exactly how many will be chosen? There are potentially hundreds of thousands who could make claims. It is true that the Minister has said she will limit the number, but when the floodgates are opened, will she able to control the flood? This is the biggest danger of using immigration in this situation. In considering the flood, how many immigration/refugee lawyers and advocates go to bed these nights and have dusk-to-dawn cash-inflow dreams? They too have extensively abused Canada’s immigration system for their own purposes. Yes, Canada did bring refugees from political situations such as the Hungarian Revolution, the military coup in Chile, the civil wars in Central America and the former Yugoslavia, and other situations, but the scale of the potential intake from southeast Asia is so much greater than that from any former situation. Should Canada have not given more thought to this or asked the opinion of some of its friends before proceeding, Bush-like, into this potential quagmire? Even though still afar, the odour of a human-made flood is also reaching Canadian noses.
It is not too late to rein in this very imprudent action. MP’s from all parties and elected officials at all three levels of government have to speak up or a self-inflicted (not natural) disaster may arrive here soon.
This could affect millions of Canadians.
END OF PRESS RELEASE
Contact Person: Dan Murray
Contact Phone Number: 604-733-6070
www.ImmigrationWatchCanada.org
