| 1950 |
The Department of Citizenship and Immigration
was formed. |
| June 1950 |
Order in council issued replacing previous measures on
immigration
selection. The preference was maintained for British, Irish, French
and U.S. immigrants. The categories of admissible European immigrants were
expanded to include healthy applicants of good character with skills and
who could readily integrate. The order gave wide discretion for refusals
and Blacks continued to be for the most part excluded. |
| 1950 |
Germans were removed from the categories of "enemy
aliens". |
| 1951 |
Census. Of the population of 14,009,429, 14.7%
were immigrants (i.e. born outside Canada). 47% of immigrants were female,
80% had been in Canada for more than 10 years and 29% lived in rural localities.
44% of immigrants were born in the United Kingdom, 13.7% in the U.S., 9%
in the USSR and 8% in Ireland. There were 37,145 immigrants from "Asiatic
countries", of whom 24,166 were from China. In terms of origins, of the
total population, 48% had origins in the British Isles, 31% in France and
4% in Germany. There were 18,020 "Negroes" reported (fewer than in the
1921, 1931 and 1941 censuses). 97% of the population was of European origin. |
| Feb. 1951 |
An interest-free Assisted Passage Loan Scheme
was created, restricted to immigrants from Europe. |
| 1951 |
Agreements were signed with the governments of India,
Pakistan and Ceylon by which Canada agreed to allow in certain numbers
of their citizens (over and above those eligible under the rules for "Asiatics"). |
| 1951 |
The Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees
was adopted. Canada did not become a signatory because the RCMP feared
that it would restrict Canada's ability to deport refugees on security
grounds. |
| 1952 |
A new Immigration Act was passed, less than a
month after it was introduced in the House (it came into effect 1 June
1953). This Act, which did not make substantial changes to immigration
policy, gave the Minister and officials substantial powers over selection,
admission and deportation. It provided for the refusal of admission on
the grounds of nationality, ethnic group, geographical area of origin,
peculiar customs, habits and modes of life, unsuitability with regard to
the climate, probable inability to become readily assimilated, etc. Homosexuals,
drug addicts and drug traffickers were added to the prohibited classes.
The Act provided for immigration appeal boards, made up of department officials,
to hear appeals from deportation. |
| 1953 |
The Approved Church Program was set up, giving
four groups power to select and process immigrants. Tensions ensued, partly
because the groups favoured the most desperate refugees, while the Department
was looking for labourers. The groups' privileged status was revoked in
1958 through a departmental directive. |
| 1954 |
Report of a Canadian Bar Association sub-committee criticized
the
arbitrary exercise of power by immigration officials and called
for a quasi-judicial Immigration Appeals Board. |
| 1956 |
The Supreme Court ruled in Brent that the discretion
given immigration officials under the regulations exceeded the provisions
of the Immigration Act. As a result, an Order in Council was issued dividing
countries into categories of preferred status. |
| Nov. 1956 |
The crushing of the Hungarian uprising led to over 200,000
Hungarians
fleeing to Austria. In response to public pressure, the Canadian government
implemented a special program with free passage. Thousands of Hungarians
arrived in the early months of 1957 on over 200 chartered flights. More
than 37,000 Hungarians were admitted in less than a year. |
| 1957 |
In the federal election campaign, John Diefenbaker promised
his government would develop a vigorous immigration policy and overhaul
the Immigration Act. |
| 1957 |
The backlog of sponsored cases in the Rome office
had reached 52,000. |
| 1958 |
It was decided that prospective immigrants must apply
from their own country. |
| March 1959 |
The government restricted admission of family members,
in a measure particularly aimed at curbing immigration of Italian family
members. The measure met with loud protests and was rescinded a month later. |
| Fall 1959 |
In the Speech from the Throne, the government promised
a new immigration act. However, plans were changed due to fears
that getting the act through Parliament would be difficult. |
| 1959-60 |
World Refugee Year. Canada admitted 325 tubercular
refugees and their families (the first time that Canada had waived its
health requirements for refugees). |
| 1960 |
Prime Minister John Diefenbaker introduced the Bill
of Rights. |
| 1 July 1960 |
The Chinese Adjustment Statement Program was announced.
The program included measures to curtail illegal entry of Chinese and to
land Chinese in Canada without legal status. The initiative followed on
the crackdown of a large-scale illegal immigration scheme, involving "paper
families". The amnesty program continued throughout the 1960s - by July
1970, 11,569 Chinese had normalized their status. |
| 1961 |
Census. Of the Canadian population of 18,238,247,
15.6% (2,844,263) were immigrants (i.e. born outside Canada). 48% of the
immigrant population was female (but 52% of immigrants from the UK, 54%
of those from the U.S. and only 38% of those from "Asiatic countries").
58% of immigrants had been in Canada for 10 years or more. 34% of immigrants
were from the UK, 51% from other European countries (Italy by itself represented
9%), 10% from the U.S., 2% from "Asiatic countries", 0.6% from "other countries"
(which includes all of Africa apart from South Africa). 63% of immigrants
were Canadian citizens. In terms of "ethnic origins", 43.8% were from the
British Isles, 30.4% French, 5.8% German, 2.6% Ukrainian and 2.5% Italian.
There were 121,753 "Asiatics" (0.7%). 96.8% of the population was European. |
| 1961 |
71,689 immigrants arrived - the lowest level since 1947,
and a reflection of the economic recession. |
| Feb. 1962 |
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Ellen Fairclough
implemented new Immigration Regulations that removed most racial
discrimination, although Europeans retained the right to sponsor a wider
range of relatives than others. |
| Nov. 1962 |
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Richard Bell
suggested that immigration should be at the rate of 1% of the population.
Despite high levels of unemployment, immigration was increased. |
| 1966 |
The Assisted Passage Loan Scheme, originally for
immigrants from Europe only, was extended to Caribbeans. |
| Oct. 1966 |
A white paper was tabled, recommending an immigration
policy that was "expansionist, non-discriminatory, and balanced in reconciling
the claims of family relationship with the economic interest of Canada".
The paper began: "There is a general awareness among Canadians that the
present Immigration Act no longer serves national needs adequately, but
there is no consensus on the remedy". Evidently no consensus was found,
since the white paper did not lead to a new Act. |
| 1967 |
Interest began to be charged on loans under the Assisted
Passage Loan Scheme. |
| Oct. 1967 |
The points system was incorporated into the Immigration
Regulations. The last element of racial discrimination was eliminated.
The sponsored family class was reduced. Visitors were given the right to
apply for immigrant status while in Canada. |
| Nov. 1967 |
The Immigration Appeal Board Act was passed, giving
anyone ordered deported the right to appeal to the Immigration Appeal Board,
on grounds of law or compassion. |
| 1967 |
8 provincial governments agreed to participate in bringing
50
handicapped refugees into Canada, largely tubercular cases. |
| August 1968 |
Warsaw Pact troops enter Czechoslovakia. 10,975 Czechs
entered Canada between August 20, 1968 and March 1, 1969. According to
the departmental annual report, "[m]any Canadian organizations, universities
and provincial and municipal agencies assisted in the settlement of the
refugees. Without this surge of public and private cooperation, the task
would have been immeasurably more difficult". |
| 1968 |
Biafrans in Canada were allowed to extend their
stay. |
| 4 June 1969 |
Canada acceded to the 1951 Convention Relating to
the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol. |
| 1969 |
A hostel for draft dodgers and deserters from
the U.S. was raided 10 times - possibly the result of RCMP-FBI cooperation
in the return of deserters to the U.S. |
| 1 April 1970 |
The Assisted Passage Loan Scheme, previously restricted
to Europeans and then Caribbeans, became available worldwide. The interest
rate was 6% annually. |
| 1970 |
The number of people applying for immigration status
after entering Canada had "exceeded expectations" and led to a backlog.
There were about 8,000 applications in 1967, 28,000 in 1969 and 31,000
in 1970. Delays in processing caused problems for the individuals as they
did not have the right to work while awaiting processing. Those refused
could apply to the Immigration Appeals Board, leading to the development
of a three-year backlog. |
| 1970 |
Immigration from Asia and the Caribbean
represented over 23% of the total, compared with 10% four years previously. |
| 1970 |
Following Canada's signing of the Refugee Convention,
refugee
selection became an issue. According the immigration department's annual
report: "under our resettlement program, refugees considered capable of
successful establishment may be selected regardless of their inability
to meet immigration assessment norms". Visa officers took into account
resources available from the department and from Canadian organizations
and citizens. |
| 1970 |
First 92 of a group of Tibetan refugees settled
in Alberta, Ontario and Québec. |
| 1971 |
Census. Of the population of 21,568,310, 15.3%
(3,295,530) were immigrants (i.e. born outside Canada). 68% of immigrants
had been in Canada for 10 years or more. 49.7% of immigrants were female.
12% of immigrants lived in rural areas (compared to 26% of people born
in Canada). 79% of immigrants were born in Europe (28% in the UK, 12% in
Italy, 6% in Germany, 5% each in Poland and the USSR). "Asiatic countries"
were the birthplace for under 4% of immigrants. All African countries are
grouped under "other countries" (2% of immigrants). In terms of "ethnic
group", 44.6% were from the British Isles, 28.7% French, 6% German, 3.4%
Italian, and 2.7% Ukrainian. There were 118,815 Chinese, 67,925 "East Indian",
37,260 Japanese, 34,445 "Negro", 28,025 West Indian and 26,665 "Syrian-Lebanese".
97% of the population was of European origin. |
| 1971-72 |
The U.S. was the largest source country of immigration,
in part because of the large numbers (possibly 30,000-40,000) of draft
dodgers and deserters unwilling to fight in Vietnam who found
refuge in Canada. |
| 1971 |
The federal government announced its policy of multiculturalism. |
| 1972 |
The 10 millionth immigrant since Confederation
was celebrated. It was reportedly British psychiatrist Dr Richard Swinson
"and his family". |
| June 1972 |
An administrative program was announced to reduce the
Immigration Appeal Board backlog. By March 1973, 18,500 cases had
been reviewed, and nearly 12,000 received a positive response. |
| August 1972 |
The Ugandan president announced his intention of expelling
Ugandan
Asians by November 8, 1972. Canada responded swiftly to an appeal from
the UK to take some of these Ugandans (by September 5, a Canadian team
of officers had set up office in Kampala), but initially insisted that
the applicants meet the usual immigration criteria. However, as the deadline
approached, they did allow some relaxation of requirements. By the end
of 1973, more than 7,000 Ugandan Asians had arrived, of whom 4,420 came
in specially chartered flights. |
| Nov. 1972 |
The right to apply for immigrant status while in Canada
was revoked. |
| 1973 |
A Settlement Branch was created within the Department
of Manpower and Immigration. |
| July 1973 |
Assent was given to amendments to the Immigration
Appeal Board Act. The universal right of appeal from a deportation
order was abolished and provisions were made to clear up the backlog. Appeals
from deportation orders were limited to landed immigrants, people arriving
at the border who had been issued a visa overseas and "bona fide refugees".
Persons in Canada since 30 November 1972 were given 60 days to apply for
adjustment of status. More than 39,000 people from over 150 countries obtained
immigrant status. |
| Sept. 1973 |
Overthrow of Allende government in Chile. Groups
in Canada, particularly the churches, urged the government to offer protection
to those being persecuted. In contrast to the rapid processing of Czechs
and Ugandan Asians, the Canadian government response to the Chileans was
slow and reluctant (long delays in security screenings were a particular
problem). Critics charged that the lukewarm Canadian response was ideologically
driven. By February 1975, 1188 refugees from Chile had arrived in Canada. |
| Sept. 1973 |
The government formed a special task force to study all
policy options in immigration. |
| Oct. 1973 |
Following a visit by Prime Minister Trudeau to China,
an agreement was reached allowing Canada to process applications for family
reunification within China. |
| 1974 |
The federal government launched the Immigrant Settlement
and Adaptation Program (ISAP) through which funding for settlement
services is provided. |
| 1975 |
A Green Paper was
released and a Special Joint Committee of the Senate and the House of Commons
created to study it. It conducted consultations over 35 weeks and held
nearly 50 public hearings in 21 cities. |
| 1976 |
To respond to the civil
war in Lebanon, special measures were announced for Lebanese. By
1979, 11,010 immigrant visas had been issued. Additional measures were
introduced in 1982 following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. |
| Nov. 1976 |
New Immigration Bill
tabled. |
| Feb. 1977 |
First meeting of the Standing
Conference of Canadian Organizations Concerned for Refugees which became
in 1988 the
Canadian Council for Refugees. |
| Feb. 1978 |
Immigration agreements
were signed between the federal government and Québec and Nova Scotia.
The former, the Cullen-Couture agreement, gave Québec the power
to select its own independent immigrants (subject to medical, criminality
and security screening by the federal government). |
| April 1978 |
The new Immigration Act
came into effect. It identified objectives for the immigration program
and forced the government to plan for the future, in consultation with
the provinces. Immigrants were divided into four categories: independents,
family, assisted relatives and humanitarian. The Refugee Status Advisory
Committee was created. The "prohibited" categories were replaced with "inadmissible"
categories, among which were no longer to be found epileptics, imbeciles,
persons guilty of crimes of moral turpitude, homosexuals and people with
tuberculosis. Deputy Minister Allan Gotlieb described the legislation as
"a beautiful piece of work - logical, well-constructed, liberal, and workable".
The accompanying
Immigration Regulations revised the points system
and created the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program. |
| Jan. 1979 |
Three designated classes
were created by regulation: the Indochinese, the Latin American
Political Prisoners and Oppressed Persons and the East European
Self-Exiled Persons. The classes facilitated the resettlement to Canada
of people who met the criteria. |
| 1979-80 |
60,000 refugees from
Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia were resettled in Canada. Responding to
media reports of the "boatpeople", thousands of Canadians came forward,
giving a dramatic launch to the new refugee private sponsorship program.
Popular pressure forced the government to adjust upwards its initial commitment
to resettling the refugees. For the years 1978-81, refugees made up 25%
of all immigrants to Canada. |
| 1981 |
Census. Of the total
population of 24,083,500, 16% were immigrants (i.e. born outside Canada).
51% of immigrants were female. 67% of immigrants were born in Europe, 14%
in Asia, 8.5% in North or Central America, 4.5% in the Caribbean, and 2.7%
in Africa. Females made up 47% of those born in Italy, 48% of those born
in Africa, 51% of those born in China, 53% of those born in North or Central
America, 55% of those born in the Caribbean, and 58% of those born in the
Philippines. 66% of immigrants had been in Canada for at least 11 years.
11% of immigrants lived in rural areas (compared to 27% of the total Canadian
population). 69% of immigrants were Canadian citizens. In terms of ethnic
origins, 92% of the population declared a single ethnic origin. 86% of
population had a single European ethnic origin (40% British, 27% French).
"Asia and Africa" (listed as a single entry) accounted for 3%, "Far East
Asia" 1.7%, "North and South America" 2%. |
| 1981 |
The Foreign Domestic
Workers Program was introduced. Those admitted came on a temporary
contract, but could apply for permanent residence after 2 years in Canada. |
| March 1981 |
Special measures were created
for Salvadorans (expanded in 1982 to include Salvadorans in the
U.S.) |
| Nov. 1981 |
The report of the Task Force
on Immigration Practices and Procedures, Refugee Status Determination
Process, (the "Robinson Report") was submitted to the Minister
of Employment and Immigration. This was the first in a series of such reports
on the refugee determination system: the "Ratushny Report" followed
in 1984 and the "Plaut Report" in 1985. |
| Nov. 1982 |
Poland was added
to the countries for the Political Prisoners and Oppressed Persons class,
in response to the suppression of the Solidarity movement. |
| 1983 |
Following the Colombo riots,
Canada imposed a visa requirement on Sri Lankans and relaxed landing
requirements for some in Canada. |
| 1984 |
The Canadian Security
Intelligence Service Act transferred responsibility for security aspects
of immigration from RCMP to the newly created CSIS. |
| 4 April 1985 |
The Supreme Court of Canada
rendered the Singh decision, in which it recognized that refugee
claimants are entitled to fundamental justice. The court ruled that this
would normally require an oral hearing in the refugee status determination
process. |
| 1985 |
Extra positions on the Immigration
Appeal Board were created to adjudicate refugee claims, now that refugee
claimants had to be given an oral hearing. |
| 1986 |
The people of Canada were
awarded the Nansen medal by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees,
in "recognition of their major and sustained contribution to the cause
of refugees". |
| 1986 |
An administrative review
program was instituted for all refugee claimants in Canada before 21 May
1986, to address the backlog in the refugee determination system. 85% of
the 28,000 applicants were accepted. |
| Feb. 1987 |
Measures were instituted
turning
back refugee claimants arriving from the U.S. They were made to wait
for processing in the U.S. |
| May 1987 |
Bill C-55 was tabled.
The bill completely revised the refugee determination system, creating
the Immigration and Refugee Board. It proposed a two-stage process, with
a "credible basis" screening. It also provided for refugee claimants to
be excluded from the process if they had passed through a "safe third country".
The credible basis test and the safe third country rule were among the
aspects of the bill that were vigorously opposed by refugee advocates. |
| July 1987 |
A group of Sikhs landed
in Nova Scotia and claimed refugee status. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
issued an emergency recall of Parliament for the tabling of Bill C-84,
the Refugee Deterrents and Detention Bill. Despite the so-called emergency,
the draconian bill was not passed for a full year. |
| 1988 |
Regulations were changed
to allow the sponsorship of unmarried children of any age (previously
only children under 21 years were eligible). |
| Dec. 1988 |
Minister of Employment and
Immigration Barbara McDougall announced that no countries would be designated
"safe third countries". A special program was announced for the
over 100,000 refugee claimants in the backlog as of December 31,
1988. The program was supposed to last two years, but took much longer,
keeping refugees in limbo and separated from their families for years. |
| 1 Jan. 1989 |
Bills C-55 and C-84
came into effect, introducing many changes to immigration law, a new refugee
determination system and the Immigration and Refugee Board. |
| June 1989 |
Following the Tiananmen
Square massacre, the government relaxed requirements for Chinese in
Canada. About 8,000 acquired permanent residence, but others languished
for years in limbo. |
| 1990 |
The East European Self-Exiled
Class was eliminated following the fall of the Iron Curtain. The Indochinese
designated class was amended to require screening of newer arrivals, in
consequence of the Comprehensive Plan of Action. |
| 1990 |
The government unveiled
its
Five Year Plan for immigration, proposing an increase in total
immigration from 200,000 in 1990 to 250,000 in 1992. The long-term commitment
to planned immigration was new in Canadian history, as was the proposal
to increase immigration at a time of economic recession. |
| 1991 |
Census. Of the total
population of 26,994,045, 16% (4,342,890) were immigrants (i.e. born outside
Canada). 51% of immigrants were female. (57% of immigrants from U.S., 56%
of Caribbean immigrants, but only 46% of African immigrants.) 72% of immigrants
had been in Canada more than 10 years. 54% of immigrants were born in Europe,
25% in Asia, 6% in U.S., 5% in the Caribbean and 4% in Africa. While 32%
of the total population lived in Montreal, Toronto or Vancouver, 57% of
the immigrant population did. 81% of immigrants eligible to become Canadian
citizens had done so. 71% of the total population declared a single ethnic
origin (66% gave a single European origin, while Asian, Arab and African
single origins together made up 6%). |
| 1991 |
A new Québec-Canada
Accord came into effect, giving Québec sole responsibility for
the selection of independent immigrants and the administration of all settlement
services in the province. |
| 1992 |
Sponsorship of children
was restricted to children under 19 or dependent children. |
| June 1992 |
Bill C-86 was tabled.
The bill proposed revisions to the refugee determination system, mostly
restrictive. The first level screening process with the credible basis
test was abandoned and "eligibility" determinations transferred in part
to immigration officers. Other measures proposed were fingerprinting, harsher
detention provisions and making refugee hearings open to the public (these
were amended as the bill passed through Parliament). New grounds of inadmissibility
were added. The bill also included a provision requiring Convention Refugees
applying for landing in Canada to have a passport, valid travel document
or "other satisfactory identity document". |
| Jan. 1993 |
Amendments to the Immigration
Regulations cancelled the sponsorship required for "assisted relatives"
and reduced the points awarded them, making it more difficult for family
members (other than nuclear family) to immigrate to Canada. |
| 1993 |
The Post-Determination
Refugee Claimant in Canada Class (PDRCC) was created by regulation.
It codified a previously existing and rather informal risk review, first
instituted in 1989 for refused refugee claimants. The class has been described
as a "highly sophisticated, special class designed to apply to almost no
one" (Davis/Waldman). |
| Feb. 1993 |
Bill C-86 came into
effect. |
| March 1993 |
The Chairperson of the Immigration
and Refugee Board issued
Guidelines on Women Refugee Claimants fearing
Gender-related Persecution. Canada was the first country in the
world to issue such guidelines. Non-governmental organizations including
the Canadian Council for Refugees were active in drawing attention to the
need for gender sensitivity. |
| June 1993 |
Prime Minister Kim Campbell
transferred immigration to the newly created Department of Public Security,
a move that was widely and bitterly denounced by the Canadian Council for
Refugees and many other organizations. |
| 1993 |
The newly elected Liberal
government transferred the immigration department to Citizenship and
Immigration Canada. |
| July 1994 |
The Deferred Removal
Orders Class (DROC) was announced, allowing applications for landing
from refused refugee claimants who had not been removed after 3 years,
subject to certain conditions. The Class was particularly aimed at resolving
the situation of over 4,500 Chinese claimants waiting in limbo. At the
same time the government announced that it would restart removals to China. |
| Fall 1994 |
Announcement of lowering
of immigration levels and shift away from family reunification. |
| Feb. 1995 |
As part of the federal budget,
the government imposed the Right of Landing Fee, widely known as
the Head Tax. The fee of $975 applied to all adults, including refugees,
becoming permanent residents. The Canadian Council for Refugees was among
the organizations most active in opposing the "head tax" as discriminatory,
and as a particular burden on refugees. In February 2000, the government
rescinded the Right of Landing Fee for refugees, but maintained it for
immigrants. |
| March 1995 |
The Minister of Citizenship
and Immigration, Sergio Marchi, announced the creation of an advisory committee
to review candidates for appointment to the Immigration and Refugee Board,
in response to persistent criticisms about the quality of board members. |
| July 1995 |
Bill C-44 (the "Just
Desserts" bill) was enacted. It restricted access to appeal for permanent
residents facing deportation, among other measures aimed against criminality. |
| Jan. 1997 |
The government introduced
the Undocumented Convention Refugees in Canada Class (UCRCC), offering
a means for some refugees with "unsatisfactory" ID to become permanent
residents, but imposing a five year wait from refugee determination. The
Class was limited to Somalis and Afghanis. |
| May 1997 |
The government introduced
the Humanitarian Designated Classes, expanding the categories of
people eligible for resettlement. The Country of Asylum Class provided
a refugee-like definition broader than the Convention Refugee definition
(but those resettled must have a private sponsor). The Source Country Class
provided for the resettlement of persecuted people who are still in the
home country, but only if the country is on a published list (the initial
list consisted of El Salvador, Guatemala, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and
Sudan). |
| Jan. 1998 |
The report of the Legislative
Review Advisory Group ("Not Just Numbers") was released. The
three-person advisory group, chaired by Robert Trempe, had been commissioned
by the Minister to come up with proposals for a new Immigration Act. The
Minister, Lucienne Robillard, conducted a short but intensive consultation
on the report, whose wide-ranging recommendations were generally unpopular.
Mme Robillard maintained that she wanted to table legislation by the end
of the year. |
| Feb. 1998 |
The Canadian government
announced that negotiations with the U.S. of a Memorandum of Agreement
on refugee claim determination were abandoned. The Agreement would have
led to the U.S. being declared a "safe third country", and was vigorously
opposed by the Canadian Council for Refugees and other refugee advocates
on both sides of the border. |
| 1998 |
The governments of British Columbia and Manitoba
signed agreements with the federal government giving these provinces responsibility
for the administration of settlement services. |
| Jan. 1999 |
A White Paper, Building
on a Strong Foundation for the 21st Century, was
released. The Minister again said she planned to table legislation by the
end of the year. The White Paper proposals were more modest than the "Trempe
report" recommendations, but would nonetheless significantly change Canada's
immigration legislation. |
| April 1999 |
Canada accepted an appeal
from the UNHCR for countries to evacuate
Kosovar refugees from Macedonia,
offering to take 5,000 (for two years, and with an option for them to apply
for permanent residence). On arrival in Canada, the refugees were initially
housed in military bases before being resettled throughout the country.
The response - from the public, governments, private sponsors, settlement
organizations and the community in general - was phenomenal. In addition
to the 5,000, the Canadian government moved quickly to resettle refugees
with family links in Canada or with special needs. |
| July 1999 |
A boat with 123 Chinese
passengers arrived off the West Coast - the first of 4 such boats to arrive
over the summer. The public response was virulently hostile. Most of the
Chinese were kept in long-term detention and some were irregularly prevented
from making refugee claims - problems highlighted by the Canadian Council
for Refugees. |
