4 - Sunday, September 18, 1994 - North Shore News

efugee situatio

oug
Collins

AE

ON THE OTHER HAND

THIS LOOKS like an inter-
esting month on the immi-
gration front. The Canadian
worm is turning. ;

A poll has shown that 66% of
the people of this country think that
the quarter of a million immigrants
we're getting every year is too
many, given the unemployment Sig-
ures. And 60% wouldn’t want that
number even if the times were
good.

Over in Surrey-Lanka 82% don’t
like what they see, according to a
survey done by the local Reform
party MP. In Ottawa, Reform party
critic Art Hanger is attacking the
Liberals on the way unsavory
“refugees” are being fast-tracked.

Capping ail that, the
Immigration Association of Canada

is petitioning foe inimignut num
bers to be cut to PSULQ00 & yea.
Botthe worst imenigration minister
we have ever had --- Sendo: Marchi
— is determined to go on iaiportinag
that 250.000.

Truth is, he does’ pive a damn
what happens to this country pro-
vided the Liberals pet
the immigrant vote.

Our crazy system is
sucking at least a bil-
lion dolfats a year out
of our pockets and the
social costs can’t be
counted. Nor can the
anger over multicult,
as in the turban issue.

Marchi knows he
has some opposition.
That’s why he has
“consulted” Canadians, meaning
for the mast part the ethnic groups
and the immigration industry. But
he won’t be making any changes
unless he’s forced to.

Even the pro-immigration Globe
& Mail has had front-page stories
describing his position as “talking
tough, acting soft.”

Even B.C.°s Gordon Gibson, the
Liberal prominento, is questioning
the numbers.

Canadian immigration is a joke.
From Afghanistan to Zanzibar we
are known as the easiest touch in
the world.

I attended a meeting recently at
which Toronto’s Paul Fromm was
the speaker. He's the research
director for Citizens for Foreign
Aid Reform (C-FAR). which stud-
ies aid, immigration and many
other ills we are heir to.

Like the deportation tiasco.

Last vear, 26,000 deportation
orders were issued aad 9000 peo-
ple were ordered out of the country.
Ten thousand arrest warrants were
issued, but 5.000) peaple had disap-
peared completely.

“Most of us have the idea,” said

RANTES RT ATER ELL EC |
$6 Canadian immigration is a joke.

From Afghanistan to Zanzi? we
are known as the easiest t.

in the world. 99

Fromm, “that when a deportation
order is made a policeman comes
along and escorts a person to a
plane.

“But that’s hardly ever the case.
What happens is that the person is
politely asked to leave within a
couple of weeks. Many of them dis-
appear. Even if they do leave there
seems to be nothing to stop them
from returning.”

Thousands of “departees” are
simply wandering around the coun-
try. And I saw an obscure press
report in which it was stated that a
man with a criminal record had
been deported 12 times.

We’ve been paying for legal aid
for him and medical coverage for
his “AIDS-related illnesses.” Very
nice of us.

The refugee situation is beyond

i
if
t

‘REESH PAGE OATAIOal

A,

Aas
e

| VANCOUVER.|792-4287
roadway!

“A homosexual fram Cube com-
plained that other Cubans pave hii
ahad time.” said Fromm,

Welcome to Canada.

Ao Istaeli prusutite claimed her
clicnis were harassing her. Also
welcome to Canada.

A Jamaican woman who
chimed her bushand
whacked her got in,
Someone has dubbed
it “emigration.”

The immigrant
crime situation ts hor-
rendous. Horror sto-

: ties like that of
! Clinton Gale abound,
said Fromm,
The 25-year-old
West Indian was
ordered deported in
1991, when he already had 13 con-
victions. He appealed, The appeal
was lurned down — by which time
he had another five convictions and
was ina reformatary.

When he got out he still wasn’t
deported, the official story being
that his file had been lost.

Comes June of this year and the
Toronto police answer a breaking

OES

and emeriog cull Gaty was there,

He made a bolt for it, A police-
man chased hit and was killed, A
second officer was wounded, Gale
has Geen arrested and charged.

The Liberals ae making a Jot af
neise about gun control, Bul what
we need, said Fromm, is immigra-
tion control

The incident followed the infa-
Tous restaurant shooting in which a
girt was killed when she refused to
hand over het purse toa gang of
four Jamaicans.

That and the cop-killing, said
Fromm, was the fast straw for
Torontonians.

Fromm forgot to mention Andre
Oullett’s statement in Hong Kong.
Don't worry about 1997, said our
foreign minister in effect, Canada’s
door will always be open for you.
Triads and all, no doubt, since they
go with the territory. What’s to be
done? Get both mad and even.
Encourage Reformers who are
speaking out, especially your local
MPs and Reform immigration critic
Art Hanger.

The hour is late. This is
Canada’s last chance.

Ru

Call The Hardworking Nice Guy

Talk to Don

Don Eilers
926-6233
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