The document provides an overview of Canada's immigration policy history from early settlement to present day. Key points include: early policies focused on attracting European immigrants to populate the country; the Chinese Head Tax and other exclusionary laws of the late 19th/early 20th century; a shift in the 1950s-60s to a non-discriminatory points-based system; and more recent policies around refugees and security post-9/11 that have faced criticism for being too restrictive. The history shows a progression from openly racist policies to a more multicultural approach, but ongoing challenges around refugee rights, family reunification, and anti-immigrant sentiment.

1. Overview of the
History of
Canada’s
Immigration Policy
Researched by Janet Dench (CCR) and Ana
Rico (FCJ Refugee Centre)
07/06/09 1

2. People have been coming to Canada
for many years ………….
07/06/09 2

3. Canada’s immigration policies (or
lack thereof) have always had
significant impacts on the people
who were allowed to come
Early ‘policy’ was
very simple…..
07/06/09 3

4. 1896 - 1905
 “I think that a
stalwart peasant
in a sheepskin
coat, born to the
soil, with a stout
wife and a half
dozen children,
is good quality”
Clifford Sifton, Ministry
of Interior
07/06/09 4

5. 1901 census
 Population 5,371,315
 96% of European
origin
 13% population were  In 1901 the
immigrants
 55% foreign-born were
Chinese Head
citizens tax doubled
 4% Chinese were from the 1885
citizens
 43% immigrants level of $50 to
female $100.
 41% pop of British
origin
 31% French
 22,050 Chinese
 17, 347 Blacks
07/06/09
 16,131 Jews 5

6. 1906
 Immigration Act passed to stop
‘undesirable immigrants’
07/06/09 6

7. This Act  Handicap
 Becoming an
 Expanded the list of inmate of a
‘prohibited prison or
immigrants’ hospital
 Allowed deportation
 Infirmity
of immigrants within  Committing
crimes of
2 (then 3 then 5) ‘moral
years of landing for turpitude’
….
 Becoming a public Deportations
charge increased
 Insanity
 Disease dramatically!!
07/06/09 7

8. Arrival of Sikhs in BC in 1906-07
resulted in an “anti-Asiatic”
parade which ended in a riot
 State the purpose of the discussion
 Identify yourself
07/06/09 8

9. 1908 - 1910
 Chinese Immigration Act amended to
increase those under the head tax and
expand list of prohibited persons
 Border inspection service created at US-
Canada border
 Continuous journey rule imposed
 New Act allowed Canada to prohibit
immigrants belonging to any race deemed
unsuitable and expanded deportation
grounds to include immorality and political
offences;
 New Act introduced concept of ‘domicile’
07/06/09  First Caribbean Domestic Scheme 9

10.  CENSUS 1911:
Population 7,206,643
 97% population of European origin
 22% population immigrants
 47% of these naturalized (9% Chinese,
22% Japanese)
 39% of immigrants were women
 Population: 54% British origin
 29% French origin
 75,681 Jews
 27,774 Chinese, 9,021 Japanese
 3,342 ‘Hindus”
07/06/09 10

11. War Initiatives - Terror
suspects???

07/06/09 11

12. Special Measures….
War Measures Wartime
Act ..
 Increased govt’s Elections Act
power to arrest, (1917)
detain and deport
 ‘Enemy aliens’ forced
 Disenfranchised
to register all persons from
themselves and ‘enemy alien’
subjected to many
restrictions countries who
 8,000 – 9,000 had been
‘enemy aliens’ naturalized since
interned..
1902
 …..released in
07/06/09
response to labour 12
shortages…..

13. And for women….
(No – not these women)
07/06/09 13

14. And for the women……
 Women's division created in 1919
within Immigration Dept to ‘care’ for
single women immigrants
 1919 .. Immigration Act amended to
add new grounds for denying entry
and deportation – alcoholism,
illiteracy.
 Classes of immigrants could be
denied entry because of unsuitability,
peculiar habits, modes of life or
holding property
 British-born subject to deportation on
political grounds (Winnipeg general
07/06/09
strike) 14

15. 1921 Census
 Population 8,787,949
 97.5% European origin
 22% immigrants
 44% immigrants female
 58% of foreign-born
naturalized citizens
 55% pop British origins
 33% French origins
 126,196 Hebrews
 39,347 Chinese
 23,342 Japanese
 18, 291 ‘Negroes’
07/06/09 15

16. Chinese Immigrants
Under Attack
Several
restrictive
laws come
into effect
07/06/09 16

17. 1920’s…Attacks on Chinese
Immigrants….
 Opium and Narcotic Drug
Act led to deportations: 35%  Doors opened to
of all the deportations in British citizens,
’23-’24 in Pacific Division Americans and
 1923 Order issued
citizens of
excluding ‘any immigrant of ‘preferred
any Asiatic race’ – except countries’.
agriculturalists, farm
Limitations placed
labourers, female domestic
servants and wife and on immigrants
children of persons legally from Austria,
in Canada Hungary, Poland,
 Chinese Immigration Act – etc….
more prohibitions..
07/06/09 17
Humiliation Day

18. Overt Targeting Of Identified
Populations Characterized this
period. …
 1930… Order further prohibited the landing
of ‘any immigrant of any Asiatic race’ except
wives and minor children of Cdn citizens
 Order requiring Chinese and Japanese to
renounce their former citizenship before
becoming citizens; impact on Japanese.
 Deportations on grounds of becoming public
charge increased – from 1930 to ’34 the
deportations on this ground increased 6x.
07/06/09 18

19. A time of terror….
 Communist party made
illegal – grounds for
deportation (’31)
 Deportation of
unemployed
 ’31 political
deportations legalized
 ’32 Red Raid
 In ’34 94% of
applications for
naturalization refused

07/06/09
Political deportations 19

20. Faith communities join with others
 To advocate for Jewish
refugees (’38)
 Opposed by many anti-
Semitic groups
 Cdn National Cttee on
Refugees and Victims
of Persecution formed
 Cttee focused on
individual cases, as
unsuccessful in
affecting policy
07/06/09 20

21. Reluctant moves on refugee
issues…..
 ’38 Canada reluctantly participated in Evian
Conference on refugees with ‘NO’ mandate. Canada’s
immigration department was anti-Semitic (“None is too
many”)
 Canada takes some German refugees, but insists on
higher payment from Britain
 In response to ’38 refugee crisis, Canada insisted it
would accept only those who met categories for
admissible immigrants
 2,500 “potentially dangerous enemy aliens” brought to
Canada from Britain) and interned (in fact many were
07/06/09 Jews) 21

22. Population 11,506,6755
Census ‘41

 98% pop of European
origin
 18% immigrants
 45% of these female
 71% of immigrants
naturalized
 50% population of British
origin
 30% French origin
 170,241 Jews
 34,627 Chinese
 22,174 Africans
07/06/09 22

23. The End of WW II – Some Change
 Gov’t resistance to
pressure for a more
open immigration
policy began to give
way in the mid ’40;s
with:
 Sponsorships
 Identity documents
 Citizenship Act
 Emergency
measures for
refugees (economic
considerations)
07/06/09 23

24. However… the ’52
Immigration Act still …
 Gave the Minister and officials
significant powers over selection,
admission and deportation.
 Allowed refusal on grounds of
nationality, ethnic group, area of
origin, peculiar customs,
unsuitability re: climate, rate of
assimilation, sexual orientation,
etc.
07/06/09 24

25.  Gov’t allowed 4
groups to select and
process immigrants
in ’53
 Oops! Conflict
arose because the
groups (churches)
selected the people
most in need!!
 ’54 Bar Assn
criticized the
arbitrary exercise of
power by
immigration officials
and called for a
quasi-judiciary
Immigration Appeals
Board
07/06/09 25

26. ’61 Census followed restriction of
admission of family members (temporary)
& ’60 Bill of Rights ….
 Population 18,238,247
 96.8% population European
 15% immigrants
 63% of these were citizens
 44% population of British origin
 30% French origin
07/06/09 26

27. ’60’s Brought Significant
Changes …..
 ’62 – removal of much racial
discrimination with new immigration
regulations;
 Assisted loan program extended to
Caribbean
 ’66 White paper promoting a balance
btwn economic interest and family
relationship
 ’67 – Points system
 1969 Canada finally signs Refugee
Convention & Protocol
07/06/09 27

28.  ’71 Multiculturalism
Opening the doors…. policy announced
 Many immigrants
and refugees from
new source
countries
 ’74 – Creation of
ISAP program
 ’78 New
Immigration Act
which identified 4
categories
 Refugee
sponsorship
program
07/06/09 28

29. 1981 Census
 Population 24,083,500
 86% had single European origin
 16% immigrants
 47% of these female
 69% immigrants were citizens
 40% population British origin
 27% French
 Greater variety in countries of origin
of immigrants
07/06/09 29

30. The ’86 Administrative Review …
MADE MANY PEOPLE HAPPY
THE 1986
‘ADMIN
REVIEW’
07/06/09 30

31. Bill C-55
completely revised the refugee
determination system creating IRB
Proposed two stage process with
exception for refugees passing a safe third
country which received opposition from
refugee advocates
Eventually came into effect in 1989
07/06/09 31

32. ’91 Census….. (domestic worker program, special
measures for Salvadorans, CSIS, Singh, ’86 administrative review to
clear up backlog, creation of IRB for oral hearings)
 Population 26,994,045
 66% single European origin
 16% population were immigrants
 81% of these were citizens
 51% immigrants female
07/06/09 32

33. 1990s Overview
1990: East European Self-Exiled Class
eliminated with fall of iron curtain
1993:Bill C-86 proposed restrictive
revisions to the refugee determination
system
1995: Right of Landing Fee modern
version of the head tax
Bill C-44 restricted right to appeal for
permanent residents
1999: in July 123 Chinese arrived off the
West Coast- the first of 4 such boats that
07/06/09 summer 33

34. Canada Post 9/11
IRPA:
Enacted in June 2002 made it harder for Refugees and
Immigrants entering Canada. The new act allowed for mandatory
detention, security certificates stripping immigrants and residents
of their rights and even deportation to torture.
Safe Third Country Agreement:
Enacted December 2004 made most claims at the U.S Canada
Border ineligible by declaring the U.S a safe country.
New Citizenship Bill:
First introduced in 2002 and just recently passed through
parliament reduce the Canadian citizenship.
07/06/09 34

35. Which policies and challenges are
affecting today’s refugees and
immigrants?
 IRPA and lack of a Refugee Appeal Division
 Bill C-36 (Anti-terrorism Act)
 War on Terror and Focus on Security (project identity,etc)
 Safe Third Country Agreement
 Reuniting families
 Access to professions and trades
 Racism
 Obtaining ‘legal’ status
 Anti-immigrant/refugee sentiment
07/06/09 35