Canadian immigration policy

When we define the immigration policy during the Second World War in Canada, it will

not imply the tale of Canadian immigration has in no way been and remains one in all orderly

populace increase. Instead, it's been and remains one in all financial fulfillment and the

expression of Canadian ideals and values. While establishing a diversified society has often acted

self-serving and ethnically or racially intolerant. It is also believed that immigration has led to

the displacing of native peoples from their traditional homelands. (Troper, January 12, 2021)

Immigration policy has evolved differently with social, political, and economic climates. A

change has also occurred in the standard views of race, beauty, and integration. As the nineteenth

century concluded, rules based on race, ethnicity, and national origin started to take their place,

becoming more restrictive as time went on. Between 1896 and 1914, Canada experienced the 6

to 10 most considerable annual immigration level ever registered. (chapter number 4). Three

million people immigrated within eighteen years; in 1896, close to 17000 immigrants arrived in

Canada, and in 1913 this was increased just over the number of 400,000.

The first immigration policy in Canada is "the immigration Act of 1869," this focuses on

guaranteeing the safety of immigrants on their journey to Canada and protecting people from

exploitation once they arrive. Despite Prime Minister John A. Macdonald's best efforts,

emigration surpassed immigration at the end of the nineteenth century, making huge immigration

unfeasible. (Dyk, 2021)In the nineteenth and eighteenth centuries, Canada exploited immigration

to develop enormous swaths of territory. The government-financed information campaigns and

recruiters entice immigrants to settle in remote, frontier areas.

1
 On the other hand, not all immigrants were welcomed. People of non-European and non-

Christian backgrounds, impoverished or ill, and crippled or disabled were all forbidden or

discouraged from immigrating under laws adopted throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth

centuries. As refugees and others left Europe, public views toward foreigners eased, and

economic expansion needed the recruitment of a larger workforce, immigration to Canada

altered substantially throughout the postwar era. Cold War tensions influenced the preferential

treatment of anti-Communist and Soviet-bloc immigrants.

"The Chinese Immigration Act of 1885" was the first piece of Canada to discriminate

against immigrants based on their ethnic background. For every Chinese citizen who applied for

Canada, the government slapped a $50 charge. It took just a short period for the tariff to affect

the number of Chinese immigrants entering Canada. The tax was raised to $100 per person in

1900, and then again in 1903 when it was raised to $500 per person.

Between 1900 and 1914, almost 1 million British immigrants arrived in Canada, with the

majority of them arriving between 1906 and 1908. Between 1906 and 1908, 45 percent of all

British immigrants arrived in Canada. (chapter number 9). The United States developed a more

exact approach to immigration due to the Immigration Act of 1906. It devised a deportation

system and empowered the government to make arbitrary choices about who could enter the

nation. "Even though the Act does not expressly restrict immigrants based on their culture,

ethnicity, or nationality, the government has the authority to prohibit any group of immigrants if

it thinks it necessary or appropriate under the circumstances". The future Prairie provinces of

Canada were first opened to colonization in the late nineteenth century, and only after First

Nations and Métis inhabitants were forced from their lands and territories. At times, this was

done severely.

2
 On the other hand, large-scale migration did not begin until the demand for agricultural

products such as wheat increased. With the election of Wilfrid Laurier as Prime Minister of

Canada, the demand for agricultural goods — notably hard wheat — surged, leading to a wave of

large-scale immigration from the western hemisphere. The white English-speaking immigrants

who came to Canada mainly were from the British Empire and the United States. As a result of

racism, non-white immigrants were barred from entering the United States. A group of self-

sufficient farmers from the United Kingdom or the United States made terrific immigrants. The

Immigration Act of 1906 imposed progressively strict regulations on immigrants. This Act

expands limited immigration categories, formalizes deportation procedures, and empowers the

government to make arbitrary admission choices. However, the government may prohibit

immigration if it is necessary or expedient.

The policy of 1967 is a total change. The Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1967

established new standards for analyzing and determining the eligibility of prospective

immigrants. Independent immigrants were now assigned points based on their chances of

successfully establishing themselves in Canada under the new regulations implemented in 2012.

"The 1966 White Paper on Immigration was a determined attempt by the Canadian government

to eradicate any lingering prejudice in Canadian immigration policy and to decrease the

discretionary authority of immigration officers". The new laws resulted in the formation of three

new types of immigrants. The first ones are those who came on their own, nominate and

sponsored. Because they were sponsored immigrants, family relatives of Canadian citizens and

permanent residents were not required to fulfill the same requirements as independent applicants.

Family members who lived at a greater distance from the applicant had to be nominated and

assessed based on five criteria: education and training, character, demand for a certain job,

3
competence in that field, and age. The government could have nondiscriminatory control over

the sponsorship system due to nominated relatives' regulations. (Immigration Regulations,Order-

in Council PC 1967-1616, 1967, 2021)

Throughout its history, Canada has embraced integration and diversity. Immigrants

contribute to Canada's identity by bringing different perspectives and cultures. Immigrants also

add to Canada's economic, labor, and cultural strength. Because of this recognized concern for

immigration, Canadian immigration policy is continuously adjusted to meet changing historical

needs. From WWII until the early 1960s, a birth nation governed immigration to Canada.

Immigrants from the UK, France, and the US must achieve minimal criteria.

On the other hand, other immigrants must fulfill more stringent standards since Canada

urgently needs their specialized personal and professional qualities. Canada introduced the first

points-based immigration system in 1967. During Canada's centennial year, the Pearson

administration enacted new anti-racial profiling legislation.

4
Works Cited
Dyk, L. V. (2021). Canadian Immigration Acts and Legislation. Retrieved from
https://pier21.ca/research/immigration-history/canadian-immigration-acts-and-legislation

Immigration Regulations,Order-in Council PC 1967-1616, 1967. (2021). Retrieved Feb 25, 2022, from
https://pier21.ca/research/immigration-history/immigration-regulations-order-in-council-pc-1967-1616-
1967

Troper, H. (January 12, 2021). Immigration to Canada. Retrieved February 25, 2022, from
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/immigration