No longer do we take in the huddled masses, but target wealthy or persons with special skills.

Which has the effect of not growing those skills at home.

The great fear of conservatives is that the flood gates will indeed open to the huddle masses, and the government will support them through welfare.

I find this a bit perplexing, in that welfare is one of the very few government spending things where "your money" gets injected right back into your neighborhood.

Immigrants getting their feet under them, like others on social assistance, don't have very big savings accounts. What they recieve gets spent, quite often in the stores of independant neighborhood retailers, and local landlords.

And, we can point to today at that wave of 60's and 70's immigrants, the Italians, Portuguese, Pakistani, etc, that have not just fit in, but have gone on to make solid contributions as fellow citizens.

So, yeah, I say open the flood gates too, but let's not be so selective.

By accident or design, Canada has an immigration policy that pretty much reflects the world's make up. For example, if (hypothetical numbers) the world's population is %30 Asian, then of new Canadians, %30 are Asian.

Most White Canadians born and raised here don't meet the criteria to immigrate to Canada.

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THere are things that can improve the system- like setting a cap on the family re-unification program so that 1 legitimate immigrant can't bring 51 other people with them (I realize that is an extreme, but there have been a few cases like that)-

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Really? Well then, sir, I'd like you to prove it. Because since 1994, our government has been moving away from family reunification, and minister after minister has moved to make the process even more difficult than it already is. The current criteria for family reunification excludes most siblings, for heavan's sake!

On top of all this, we've still got a head tax on immigrants entering the country. The refugee process has no appeal board, despite the fact that a year ago, minister Denis Coderre promissed the Canadian Council for Refugees, at their 2002 spring consultation, to implement one by now. Instead of living up to a simple commitment in line with the Geneva convention, he's reneged for fear of becoming too Liberal for Washington's taste. Canada's system deports asylum seekers without any means for them to appeal a negative ruling, sending them back to likely poverty and possible persecution.

While globalization continues, borders become less of an issue for goods and trade, but more of an issue for poor would-be immigrants and refugees. You've heard the demonization of the many who've tried to come to Canada "illegally" on boats commissioned by snakes, risking life and limb just to come to Canada and the United States. When they're caught, they're locked up like common criminals. I remember with the case of the Fujian passengers, the media made it seem as though they were using Canada as a route to the US, or that we were "the cheaper alternative" - as though Canadians should be offended. On top of it, they were portrayed as "queue jumpers" when they likely wouldn't have qualified for either immigration or refugee status. Why? Because our refugee determination policy ignores economic oppression, and if you're not rich with good English or French, you're not qualified to immigrate.

Let's be realistic here. Sure, it's a good idea for immigrants to know one of the official languages- but should it really be necessary? It isn't necessarily necessary for them, let's face it. Our local University is becoming renowned for a program that brings in international students to teach them english. Why is a university in the middle of nowhere able to do this? Because similar programs in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal just don't work, because it's not all that hard to get around in Cantonese or Mandarin if you're in these cities. So if we're all so tolerant and open minded, why is it required that a Chinese immigrant speak fluent English just to have the opportunity for the "privilege" of living here? Other than to not inconvenience Mr. White by subjecting him to - gasp! - either a strong accent or a foreign language, that's to say (Horror of horrors!).

Now consider that there are between 20 000 and 200 000 people in Canada living without status. I mentioned this in the forum about the Algerians that were brutalized by the power-hungry Ottawa Police. People without status are those who've come here, and filed a claim which has not been ruled on, an application(s) was turned down, or no claim has been made because of fear, misinformation, or a lack of assistance and resources. Also sometimes it's the result of a sponsorship or work permit arrangement which has broken down. Many come here on work permits, student or visitors visas, and decide to stay, but their documents have expired. If they try to make claims, many risk being deported, again to poverty and possible persecution. In Canada, they live without medical coverage, without social and citizenship rights. Many become exploited workers, as their bosses hold the threat of deportation over their heads. Indeed, much of the Ontario agricultural and construction idustries rely on non-status workers. If we live in such a just country, why does the government not regularize non-status immigrants so that they can finally be treated like human beings? It's not a new idea, and it doesn't pose a security risk.

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Give me your hungry, your tired your poor I'll piss on 'em
That's what the Statue of Bigotry says
Your poor huddled masses, let's club 'em to death
And get it over with and just dump 'em on the boulevard

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Look what immigrants did to the aboriginal people. We only have to look in our own back yard, but we also see the problems it created in the Middle East or look to the former New Guinea, now part of Indonesia, or South America, Taiwan, just to mention a few.