Immigration Laws: March, 2002 - Number #6

Guest Workers. In 2000, some 7,300 Mexicans were among the 16,900 foreign farm workers admitted to Canada; the non-Mexicans were from Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados and six other eastern Caribbean islands. In 2001, the number of Mexican farm workers increased to 11,000, and in 2002, 13,000 Mexican guest workers are expected. They will be allowed to work in agriculture, meatpacking and tourism.

Canada has admitted seasonal farm workers from the Caribbean (since 1966) and Mexico (since 1974) to Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and Manitoba. Carlos Obrador, Mexican vice-consul in Toronto, said that the Mexico-Canada guest worker program: "is a real model for how migration can work in an ordered and legal way." According to the Mexican government, 80 percent of Mexican workers are repeat hires and very few stay on in Canada illegally.

Multiculturalism. Canada is officially a multi-cultural society. It is sometimes said that if the US is a melting pot, Canada is a mosaic. This means that Canada encourages, and until recently subsidized, immigrant associations that preserve in Canada the culture of immigrants' countries of origin. The Association for Canadian Studies in 2002 released a study that found that 77 percent of those questioned agreed that multiculturalism promotes the sharing of common values, 80 percent agreed that multiculturalism enhances the value of Canadian citizenship, and 82 percent agreed that multiculturalism should be supported by government.

Immigrants. The Canadian Council on Social Development released a report that concluded: "Census data for 1981 to 1996 on recent immigrants ... showed a progressive trend toward lower rates of labor force participation and lower levels of earnings among immigrants compared to the Canadian-born population." In 1998, immigrants who had arrived between 1985 and 1998 earned an average of $18,011, or 66 percent of the $27,305 earned by non-immigrants or those who had arrived prior to 1985. The labor force participation rate of recent immigrants fell to 68 percent in 1996 from 86 percent in 1981.

The council concluded that racism explains the apparent declining "quality" of immigrants: "The point system used for selecting immigrants brings many highly educated people to Canada… racial discrimination has, indeed, become more of an issue as new immigrants are increasingly drawn from visible minority groups who are more vulnerable to racism."

Under Canadian law, persons receiving welfare assistance may sponsor their relatives for admission, although sponsors are required to sign statements promising to support their relatives. CIC says that 90 percent of sponsors fulfill their commitments and support the relatives they sponsor. However, Ontario says it spends $100 million a year to provide assistance to immigrants whose sponsors do not keep their promises.

Tunisians. In 1999 and 2000, dozens of Tunisian students entered Canada on six-month visitors' visas and stayed. They were discovered when two Tunisians who were born in Montreal were identified as members of Al-Qaeda; police then checked the status of other Tunisians.

Clubs at Tunisian universities organized trips to Canada, US and Europe during school vacations, but it was well known in Tunisia that many participants in study trips intended to stay abroad. Students were charged $1,500 to $2,000 for visas and airfare, and loans were available to those without the funds. Several of those arrested in Canada said they did not want to return to Tunisia because they would likely spend time in jail or have to do military service.

Sham Marriages. Immigration officials refused entry to 50 brides in 2002 who were travelling to Canada from India after marrying Toronto-area men. The wedding albums carried by the women held pictures of the same wedding guests, who were often wearing the same clothes at various weddings. The men were paid up to $15,000 each by smugglers for every "bride" they brought to Canada.