OTTAWA—Anti-immigration movements have sparked fires of controversy across Europe, but could the same thing happen in Canada?
Yes indeed, says one of the country’s foremost immigration experts.
Recent polls are already reflecting a change.
A Nanos Research poll that came out just before Canada Day on July 1 found that Canadians support immigration and want more support for immigrants, but think immigration levels should be maintained or reduced. Only one in five thought they should be raised.
A few months later in September, an Angus Reid poll found opinions had hardened slightly with two in five Canadians, 38 percent, saying immigration levels should be lowered and about the same number saying levels should not change.
Only 16 percent said more immigrants should be allowed into Canada. Ontario, the most popular destination for new Canadians, was most in favour (42 percent) of decreasing immigration levels and deporting illegal immigrants (53 percent).
While the Conservatives say these numbers point to a dangerous trend that could undermine popular support for immigration, the Liberals say that if that’s happening, it is the Conservatives’ own doing.
Refugee Reform
Part of the problem is Canada’s broken refugee system, which is among the most open in the world.
Huge backlogs of cases mean it takes years to decide whether a refugee can stay or not. And since anyone can file a claim, just the promise of staying here for years while the process unfolds can lure fake refugees, says Randall Hansen, Canada Research Chair in Immigration and Governance at the University of Toronto.
Hansen says Canada’s relatively open door attracts literally boatloads of fake refugees, and if we don’t do something about it, Canadians could lose confidence in the immigration system. That, he adds, would be unfortunate, because among Western countries we are the most open to high immigration.
“We are very unique in that respect.” But that could change if we don’t do something about the refugee system, he says.
Nobody argues the system is broken, though the causes are debatable. The opposition will say it is largely an issue of resources, while the government will point at a need for changes to the rules.
Immigration minister Jason Kenney has tabled various pieces of legislation to fix the system but only one has become law so far. That law, the Balanced Refugee Reform Act, aims to get a larger number of genuine refugees through the system faster and fake refugees out of the country quicker as well.
The second two, the Cracking Down on Crooked Consultants Act and the Preventing Human Smugglers from Abusing Canada’s Immigration System Act, are still being debated, but while the opposition may go along on the crooked consultants act, they have strongly denounced the new human smuggling laws, saying they target refugees rather than smugglers.
