Many people want to come to Canada. So many, in fact, that Canada is currently looking at changing its immigration policies so that some people could be fast-tracked in. This includes people who are in highly trained jobs such as medicine or engineering. Prospective immigrants are already complaining that they need to wait years to get in, especially those who are highly educated or skilled. So why should these people have to wait?
However, what upsets people is that the bill apparently indicates that the government can pick and choose which countries prospective immigrants come from (some websites even say that the minister can do it. NOT TRUE. Why would she? She doesn’t have the time!). Some people are going as far as saying that it’s a big step backwards, back to the early twentieth century or before. But what they don’t realize is that the government is already ”picking and choosing”. There are already very strict requirements to get in, believe it or not, and technically, the people from certain countries ARE more likely to be rejected because they don’t meet the standards.
What would I do? Considering that many immigrants to Canada seem to prefer their old ways of doing things (but at the same time, enjoy the freedoms that we give them, things that weren’t possible in the old country), I’d require prospective immigrants to watch videos about life in Canada so that they wouldn’t be in for a shock when they come. They’d should also be required to answer questions like:
- You child has been paired up with a member of the opposite sex (or child whose family is from an “enemy” country) for a school assignment. How would you react? Would you force the teacher to find the child another partner? (If the parents say yes, then points are deducted)
- At a work gathering, one of your co-workers introduces you to his (her) spouse. His (her) spouse is a man (woman). How would you feel about that? (I know that plenty of people in Canada are homophobic, but we don’t want to increase the numbers, do we?)
- A couple lives next door to you. They seem lovely and very friendly. At a dinner party, you find out that they aren’t legally married. In fact, they have no intention of getting married. Will you still be friends with them? (again, I know that plenty of people are anti-shacking up before marriage, but like homophobics, we don’t need more of them in this country.)
- Your (now grown) child doesn’t want to marry the person that was arranged for him/her. Instead, the child wants to marry someone they’re in love with (or not at all). To you, the show must go on. Is there anything wrong with the picture? (brownie points for those who say yes
) - You move into a neighbourhood that is primarily made up of people who speak your language and enjoy your traditions. Do you think it’s necessary to learn English (or French)? If not, why not?
I know some of these questions sound a little crazy, and may also apply to certain groups who’ve been in this country for years, but like I’ve said before, we don’t need MORE people like that here. And I think if more people had an open mind when they arrive, there’d be less tension between different groups and also less tension between parents and their Canadian raised children.
