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Another view on Canada’s immigration mess

JUDGING FROM Sunday’s
North Shore News some peo-
pie think I am a hard critic
where immigration is con-
cerned. But I have read
nothing more critical than

- What West Vancouver’s --.
Charles Campbell has told
Immigration Minister Sergio
Marchi.

Bear in mind that Campbell i isa
life-long Liberal, a former president
of the B.C. Liberal Party, and a for-

‘mer vice-chairman of the old
- Immigration Appeal Board. One of
the family, as it were. Yet his let-
ters to the minister ooze with con-
_ tempt.
_ Here are extracts from them
.- (necessarily shortened) published
' by the Immigration Association of
Canada newsletter, which tries to
inform the country about what is
going on.

Campbell to Marchi:

“Do you not realize that the dis-
aster of Canada’s immigration poli-
cy... which you have refused to
deal with ... was a significant

undercurrent in the election? And
~do you not realize that should you -
insist on'this path, public anger |
“could deny our party re-election?
; “Do you not realize that as a

: -result of allowing sponsorship of

- parents and their dependent chil-
dren’ regardless of age, skills, or lit-
. | eracy ... we have a flood of people
* .. jlliterate even‘in their own lan-
“guages? - ;

“Do you not know that 60% of
those accepted by the Immigration
and Refugee Board would not meet
the’ United Nations Convention cri-
teria for refugees?’

:-. “Do you not comprehend that
family sponsorship extending to
» parents and grandparents is now a
“tight; that citizenship no longer has -
i, any meaning, and that the flood of
_ the elderly into our.health system is.

oug
Collins

ON THE OTHER HAND

a concern ... because of its impact
on our universal medical system?

“Will you please understand ...
that ... until politicians in Ottawa
develop the guts to deal honestly
with the immigration issue, racism
will continue and grow?

“Do you not recognize that for
1,600,000 uncraployed Canadians it
is difficult to understand the current

“. budget (which shows) an increase.

- of $147 million to bring in more

‘people; that English as a Second
Language costs must now approach *

a billion dollars annually: that wel-
fare costs for refugee ‘claimants
alone (80% of whom are bogus)
exceed $450 million annually ...?
“Are you not aware of the costs

“of the abuses in our court system?

Would it surprise you to know that
in 1989 there were 574 immigration
cases filed with the Federal Court,
and in just three years...they
increased 23 TIMES — to 2,300 in
the Trial Division and 10,800 in the
Appeals Division?

“And finally, would it surprise

you to know that Iam nota redneck .

Reformer, but a congenital Liberal
belonging toa family that has

served the Liberal cause well for
over 70 years, and that [have been
described publicly by a former
depuly minister of immigration as
the leading authority on the subject
in Canada?”

There was a fot more, But
Campbell got no answers from the
Hon. Marchi, How could he? His
points were unanswerable.

Instead, a bureaucrat sent him a
bunch of blah, as if Campbell} were
a high school student who had just
stumbled onto the mysteries of pov-
ernment. Here is an example:

“Liberals believe immigration
policy should balance humanitarian
considerations with demographic
considerations and economic
needs.” Blah blah blah.

Campbeil retorted. “This may or
may not be what-Liberals believe.
The party membership was never
consulted prior to the election.”

That wasn’t the only juicy stuff
in the immigration newspaper.
Someone had slipped Campbell a
letter that Marchi had written to
“Susan and Lorne,” who are close
friends of the minister, obviously.

“Susan” is Susan Davis,
National Executive director of the

‘Sewish Immigrant Aids Services,

and “Lorne” is a lawyer in the *

- immigration industry. .

They are to conduct a study on
how to make things easier, on a
“humanitarian basis,” for refugees
who don’t meet U.N. Convention
standards for staying in Canada. It’s
not put that bluntly but that’s what
the letter means,

Memo to Mr. Campbell:

Forget the Liberal party. It is
more concerned about what is
going on in Somalia and South
Africa than in Canada. It doesn’t
matter a damn to Marchi & Co. if
this country.becomes a cultural
conundrum and wasteland provided
they get the ethnic votes, The
Reform party is this country’s last
hope. Be a redneck.

Wednesday, May 11, 1994 - North Shore News - 7

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