“We can’t talk about immigration” –Mark Steyn, Maclean’s Aug.17th



Yes, we can! But, it does little good, because like the weather, no one can do anything about it. Lately, it seems I agree with Steyn half the time. That’s not bad for an old contumacious curmudgeon like me.

Steyn need not go to Germany and Sweden to find examples of “reunification” abuses and welfare dependency among immigrants. We Canadians have also made it so, by making it too easy to claim refugee status, or to enter as a dependent under the reunification program. What you get, are older parents who come here to enjoy our free medical system and other entitlements (I know whereof I speak: I personally know “new Canadians” who put their mother in a government supported seniors home, even though they were rich).

As to the many professional, independent immigrants who are doing menial jobs here; part of the reason is that they have been “oversold” on Canadian opportunities, possibly by local immigration officials, and also by their own relatives or friends all ready here, who send them glowing accounts of their success here, with nice photos of their new houses, though devoid of furniture, they, like some people, look nice on the outside. Some more realistic picture should be presented to potential immigrants, and some basics in Canadian laws, mores and expectations should be inculcated before their landed certificate is issued. Another issue is that sometimes their educational standards are not always comparable to ours. This was perhaps more so in the past, but I know, for example, that China’s educational system was at least 10 years behind ours until fairly recently; and during Mao’s time, almost non-existent. You got accepted by the university based on how good a Communist your parents were, and if you came from the right proletarian background (for example, surgeons at the hospitals were required to read a chapter of Mao’s Little Red Book before commencing an operation!). I would want to know that before someone began surgery on me, they were truly skilled and qualified.

Then there is the issue of latent or subtle discrimination. Today’s “visible minority” immigrants are more “visible” than the earlier European immigrants, and their cultural and religious backgrounds are more “foreign” to the native population. They take longer to integrate –perhaps as much a two or three generations, and they cling to the “old country ways” longer than the immigrants of yore. This is, however, one area where Canada does better than Europe, because we are attuned to immigration –we are an immigrant country. Europe, in particular the two countries mentioned by Steyn; Germany and Sweden, have a much a more homogeneous society than do we. This causes them to, in spite of the “official” welcoming stance, be more wary of newcomers, especially if they persist in setting themselves apart and creating ethnic ghettoes.

Immigrants do not help themselves either by supporting such nuts as Mullah Krekar in Norway, where they have tried to deport him for some time; but he is still there. There is even a Facebook page dedicated to sending Krekar home! [http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=37022756828].

Canadians are concerned about our rather loose immigration policy, and even more so, the ability for wannabe immigrants to claim “refugee” status once they manage to get here by hook or by crook. It is unfair to the Canadian public and it is unfair to new Canadians who have come here the legal way. By all means, bring in qualified, skilled immigrants that we need, but to let in people willy-nilly is asking for trouble down the road –in fact, it’s all ready here. Being more critical in our immigration policy does not mean that we should revert to the discriminatory policies of old, where, in the case of Jews, “one is too many”, or like the Chinese Exclusion Act.

I do think that there is a valid economic argument for immigration, in addition to the skills we need for the economy; we are also a nation with a low birth rate, below the level of replacement. Thus, if we want to grow economically and also to have enough young people who can pay our old age pension, we need immigrants. But, not just any immigrant –we don’t need people who become a burden on our society –we need productive, intelligent people who can build on what we have achieved so far, and even make it better –regardless of colour, creed or nationality.