Emigration to Canada is a process of immigration of the population , through which people migrate to Canada for permanent residence. Many, but not all, then become subjects of this state.
Canada is a country of immigrants . Canada’s global reputation as a highly developed, peaceful country free of ethnic strife and conflict, where children can be raised in a calm environment, certainly contributes to the growth of immigration to the country.
In 2006, Canada accepted 236,756 immigrants. The top ten source countries included China (28,896), India (28,520), Philippines (19,718), Pakistan (9808), USA (8750), United Kingdom (7324), Iran (7195), South Korea (5909) , Colombia (5382) and Sri Lanka (4068) [1] . France (4026) and Morocco (4025) are closely following these countries, with Romania , Russia and Algeria , each of which yielded 3,500 immigrants [2] . In 2016, Canada accepted 300,000 immigrants.
In 1976, Canada passed a law on emigration , and in 2002 a law on the protection of refugees .
The population of Canada at the beginning of 2018 is 37 million people. The 2006 census recorded a 5.4% increase compared with 2001 [3] . Most population growth occurs due to immigration. Although the main economic return on immigration comes from independent skilled immigrants, half of all people entering the country fall under the family reunification program (spouses, minor children, or parents of new Canadians-sponsors).
Canada is a very diverse country from an ethnic point of view. According to the 2001 census, 34 ethnic groups consisting of at least 100,000 people live in Canada. The largest ethnic group calls themselves “Canadians” (39.4%), since most Canadians, especially those whose ancestors came during the times of colonization, see themselves as Canadian ethnic groups. This is followed by those who call themselves British (34.4%), French (25.7%), Germans (3.6%), Italians (2.8%), Ukrainians (1.7%), Aboriginal people (Indians and Eskimos 1.5%), Chinese (1.4%), Dutch (1.4%), Poles (0.9%).
History
After the initial period of Anglo-French colonization, four main waves (or peaks) of immigration and resettlement of non-indigenous peoples took place for almost two centuries. The fifth wave is currently ongoing.
The first significant immigration influx of non-indigenous people were French colonists in Quebec and Acadia with a smaller number of Americans and Europeans. This wave ended with the influx of British loyalists fleeing the American Revolution , mainly from the mid-Atlantic states, mostly to where today is Southern Ontario , the eastern counties of Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia .
The second wave from Great Britain and Ireland, when people were asked to settle in Canada after the war of 1812, the governor of Canada, who was concerned about the possibility of a new American invasion attempt as well as fighting the influence of the French-speaking province of Quebec, in a hurry were organized new settlements and new roads Upper Canada (now Ontario). In the second wave, Irish immigration to Canada increased and reached a peak when the famine in Ireland caused by the poor harvest of potatoes took place from 1846 to 1849, resulting in hundreds of thousands of Irish people arriving on the coast of Canada, although much of the migration occurred in the United States decades [5] . Of the 100,000 Irish who traveled to Canada in 1847, an estimated 20% died.
Migration from Canada to the United States has historically exceeded migration back, but there have been short periods when it was the other way around: for example, loyalist refugees; during the gold rush of the Caribou / Fraser; and then the Gold Rush in Klondike, which also during periods of political instability and / or during wars, such as the Vietnam War .
The third wave of immigration was mainly from continental Europe, which reached its peak before the First World War, between 1910–1913 (more than 400,000 in 1913) and the fourth wave also from the same continent in 1957 . (282,000), with the result that Canada has become an even more multicultural country with a significant population that did not speak English or French. For example, Ukrainian Canadians account for the largest number of the Ukrainian population outside of Ukraine and Russia . Periods of reduced immigration also occurred, especially during World War I and World War II, in addition to the Great Depression .
In the interwar years and during World War II, Frederick Blair , head of the Immigration Department (then not an independent service, but a department under the Ministry of Resources), pursued a tough, racially-motivated policy of restricting immigration. One consequence was the extremely tough policy of Canada in preventing non-Jewish immigrants during the Holocaust .
Immigration since 1970 in the overwhelming majority is the immigration of visible minorities from developing countries. This is largely influenced by the revision of the Immigration Act in 1967 , and this continues to be official government policy. In the Mulroney government, it was believed that the scale of immigration should be increased. In the late 1980s, immigration was maintained with minor fluctuations, at about 225,000-275,000 per year. Currently, the majority of immigrants from South Asia and China, and this trend will continue.
Before 1885, restrictions on immigration were imposed mainly due to a large wave of immigration, rather than planned political decisions, but were not directed specifically at one group or ethnicity, at least as a formal policy. Then the introduction of the additional taxes on Chinese workers was passed in 1885, in response to the growing number of Chinese workers on the Canadian Pacific Railway . The subsequent increase in the tax on workers from China in 1900 and 1903 restricted the entry of the Chinese into Canada. In 1923, the government passed the Chinese Immigration Act, which banned entry into Canada between 1923 and 1947 . For discrimination against Chinese immigrants in past periods, official government apologies and compensation were announced on June 22, 2006 .
Canadian citizenship was established in accordance with the Immigration Act in 1910 , to refer to those British nationals who permanently resided in Canada. All other British subjects required a permanent residence permit. Canada was the first country in the British Commonwealth to create its own citizenship law by adopting Canadian Citizenship Act 1946 . This law came into force on January 1, 1947 . In order to obtain Canadian citizenship, from January 1, 1947, it was necessary to be a British subject on this day, an Indian or an Eskimo, and to be admitted to Canada as registered immigrants. The phrase "British subject" referred to any of the United Kingdom , its colonies, at that time, or one of the countries of the Commonwealth. The acquisition and loss of status to British nationals before 1947 was determined by the law of the United Kingdom.
On February 15, 1977 , Canada lifted dual citizenship restrictions. Many of the provisions governing the acquisition or loss of Canadian citizenship that existed in the 1946 legislation were repealed. Canadian citizens in general are not subject to compulsory loss of citizenship unless annulment on the basis of immigration fraud occurs.
The proportion of immigrants in the population
In 2001, 250 640 people immigrated to Canada. Based on the Canadian population census in 2001, the total population was 30,007,094, immigration gave a 0.834% increase in population that year. Since 2001, immigration has ranged from 221,352 and 262,236 immigrants per year [6] . The annual admission quota is 310 thousand people. [7] According to data from the Canadian Immigration Program (October 2004), Canada has the highest per capita immigrant rate in the world [8] , although statistics in the CIA World Factbook show that a certain number of city-states and small island states as well as in some large countries in regions with refugee movements, have higher rates per capita [9] . The three main official reasons for high immigration are:
- A. Social Component - Canada contributes to family reunification.
- B. Humanitarian component - with respect to refugees.
- C. The economic component - attracting immigrants who will contribute to the development of the economy and fill the needs of the labor market (see the article on the topic, The Economic Impact of Immigration to Canada ).
The level of immigration in 1993 reached a peak in the last year of the Progressive Conservative government and was supported by the Liberal Party of Canada . The ambitious goal of annually taking 1% of the population as immigrants was hampered by financial difficulties. Liberals were committed to raising the actual level of immigration further to 2005 . All political parties are currently cautious of criticism of high levels of immigration.
The influx of immigrants is concentrated in or near large cities (in particular, Vancouver , Toronto , Montreal ). In these cities, there is a growing need for a growing population, which raises concerns about the capacity of the infrastructure in these cities to handle inflows. For example, in a Toronto Star article published on July 14, 2006 by author Daniel Stoffman, it was noted that 43% of immigrants settle in the Greater Toronto area and said: "If Canada does not reduce the number of immigrants, our major cities will not be able to preserve their social and physical infrastructure" [ 10] . Most provinces that do not have a large influx of immigrants are trying to attract more immigrants.
The province of Quebec, in agreement with the federal government, independently selects the majority of immigrants destined for the province. Quebec attracts about the same number of immigrants as British Columbia , although its population is almost twice as large [11] .
Statistics Canada predicts that by 2031, almost half of the population over the age of 15 will be of foreign origin. The number of visible minorities will double and make up the majority of the population of large cities in Canada [12] .
Immigration Categories
There are three main categories of immigrants:
Economic immigrants . The Canadian Department of Citizenship and Immigration uses several subcategories of economic immigrants. The most popular sub-category “Qualified Worker” was 19.8% of all immigration in 2005. In addition, Canada has created a Business Immigration VIP program that allows immigrants with sufficient business or management experience to become resident in a shorter time than other types of immigrants. In the province of Quebec, there is a program called the Immigrant Investor Program [13] .
Express Entry. Starting in 2015, obtaining the status of permanent resident of Canada will be implemented through the Express Entry program. Candidates who submit requests for this program will be selected according to the system of integrated selection - CRS. [14] In short - the program assumes that anyone can freely apply for immigration, it is enough to fill out a special form. There are no restrictions on the number of applications. Further, all the candidate questionnaires fall into the special “Express Entry pool” - here they are considered by the commission, and assigns a certain number of points according to many criteria. After evaluating all candidates, their questionnaires are stored in the system for up to 12 months, waiting for consideration by Canadian employers. As soon as the Canadian employer sends an invitation to the candidate, only the details of visa processing remain.
Family class . Under the government program, both citizens and permanent residents can sponsor members of their families and next of kin for immigration to Canada.
Spouse Sponsorship. Sponsorship of a spouse is possible only if both husband and wife are 18 years old and are adults at the time of registration. Exactly the same conditions for partners who are in extra-marital relations. Since October 2012, an amendment has been made regarding the conditional permanent residence status for the sponsored spouse. The essence of the amendment is that during the relationship of spouses in marriage less than 2 years and the absence of children at the same time, the sponsored spouse acquires permission for permanent residence in Canada only for a period of 2 years, during which people who are married must live together. In addition, according to the same amendment of June 2015, upon further divorce after a 2-year term, the sponsored spouse loses the right to sponsor his second half when remarrying over the next 5 years. Restrictions on those who cannot sponsor their foreign partner: imprisonment of the sponsor; bankruptcy; obtaining financial support from the state (velfer); an attempt to commit offenses in the past; failure to pay child support obligations from his previous marriage; non-payment of subsidies received from the state.
Sponsorship of parents for immigration to Canada. Beginning in 2013, Canada has reduced the time it takes to process applications for family sponsorship, and in particular for sponsoring parents and / or grandparents. Since 2014, the Canadian Department of Immigration annually sets a quota for accepting new applications for this type of sponsorship. Quotas in 2014 and 2015 made up of 5000 applications. Also, the possibility of sponsoring parents and / or grandparents is virtually eliminated from the Humanitarian and Compassionate Program (HCP). Alternatively, Canada proposes a Super-Visa for the reunification of children and parents, opening up the possibility of multiple stays in Canada for parents and / or grandparents for 10 years with a stay of up to 2 years for one visit, with the possibility of partial extension within Canada .
The refugees Immigration of refugees and persons in need of protection.
According to Canadian citizenship laws, an immigrant can apply for citizenship by living in Canada for 1095 days (3 years) of 4 years [15] .
Illegal Immigration to Canada
There is no reliable information on illegal immigration to Canada. Estimates of illegal immigrants range from 35,000 to 120,000 [16] . Bissett James, the former head of the Canadian Immigration Service, suggested that the absence of any meaningful refugee selection process, combined with a high probability of ignoring deportation, led to tens of thousands of arrest warrants for refugees whose applications were rejected [17] . Unlike the United States, a refugee in Canada cannot repeat his application to find out the status of his claim. In 2008, the Report of the Auditor General Sheila Fraser declared that Canada had lost traces of more than 41,000 illegal immigrants [18] . This number is projected to increase dramatically with the expiration of temporary work visas issued in 2007 and 2008, which were not renewed in many cases due to lack of work due to the economic downturn [19] .
See also
- Canadian population
- Immigration to Quebec
- Canadian citizenship
- Permanent resident status in Canada
Notes
- ↑ Report on the population of Canada in 2005 and 2006 Archival copy of November 5, 2008 on the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Population of Canada. Statistics Canada. 2006
- ↑ Beauchesne, Eric. We are 31,612,897 Unsolved . National Post (March 13, 2007). The appeal date is March 13, 2007. Archived August 21, 2011.
- Canada Statistics Canada Archived January 8, 2008. - immigration from 1851 to 2001
- ↑ Health and technology in the XIX century. Archival copy of November 5, 2010 on the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Annual immigration by year and category Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada
- ↑ Emigration to Canada: methods of immigration, conditions for relocation (Rus.) (September 18, 2018). The appeal date is October 7, 2018.
- ↑ Canadian Immigration Program (not available link) . The appeal date is July 13, 2010. Archived on February 27, 2010.
- ↑ The share of immigration in the population of the Book of Facts of the Central Intelligence Agency
- ↑ When immigration becomes dangerous Archived January 16, 2013.
- ↑ Annual provincial immigration Archived October 7, 2006. Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada
- ↑ Parties fight for votes of immigrants Archived March 16, 2010.
- ↑ Annual immigration to Canada
- ↑ Express Entry - how system works .
- ↑ Becoming a Canadian citizen Archived May 5, 2010.
- ↑ Canadians want to deport illegal immigrants Archived October 20, 2010.
- ↑ Stop asylum applicants before they enter Unsolved (inaccessible link) . The appeal date is July 13, 2010. Archived July 19, 2010.
- ↑ Canada lost traces of 40 thousand immigrants (inaccessible link)
- How we create illegal labor
Literature
- The Canadian Encyclopedia (2008) good starting point
- The Dictionary of Canadian Biography (1966–2006), thousands of scholarly biographies
- Bagnell, Kenneth. Canadese: A portrait of the Italian Canadians (1989)
- Bloemraad, Irene. Becoming a Citizen: Incorporating Immigrants and Refugees in the United States and Canada (2006) excerpt and text search
- Canada, Report of the Royal Immigration. (1885) primary documents for Canada online edition
- Green, Alan G. and Gree David. Canadian Journal of Urban Research "The Goals of Canada's Immigration Policy: A Historical Perspective" , Vol. 13, 2004 online version
- Grekul, Lisa. Leaving Shadows: Literature in English by Canada’s Ukrainians (2005)
- Grenke, Arthur. The German Community in Winnipeg 1872 to 1919 (1991)
- Iacovetta, Franca, Paula Draper, and Robert A. Ventresca. A Nation of Immigrants: Readings in Canadian History, 1840s-1960s (1998)
- Kelley, Ninette, and Michael J. Trebilcock. The Canadian Immigration Policy (1998)
- Kemp, Paul. Goodbye Canada? (2003), from Canada to US
- Kukushkin, Vadim. From Peasants to Laborers: Ukrainian and Belarusan Immigration from the Russian Empire to Canada (2007)
- McDougall, Duncan M. “Immigration into Canada, 1851–1920,” The Canadian Journal of Economics and Political Science, Vol. 27, No. 2 (May, 1961), pp. 162-175 in JSTOR
- Magocsi, Paul Robert. Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples (1999), 1350 pp; major compilation
- Messamore, Barbara, ed. Canadian Migration Patterns from Britain and North America (2004) 300pp; essays by scholars
- Palmer, Ransford W. Carter Praeger Publishers, 1990 online edition
- Riedel, Walter. Literary perspectives of the Canadians (1984)
- Roy, Patricia. A White Man’s Province: British Columbia Immigrants, 1858–1914 (1989)
- Schryer, Frans J. The Netherlandic Presence in Ontario: Pillars, Class and Dutch Ethnicity. (1998). 458 pp. focus is post WW2
- Skeldon, Ronald, and Wang Gungwu; Reluctant Exiles? Migration from Hong Kong and the New Overseas Chinese 1994 online edition
- How To Express The Express System (PDF, 653.55 KB) - Information on Skilled Foreign Workers , education system
- Wagner, Jonathan. A History Of Migration From Germany to Canada, 1850-1939 (2005)