Canada may point the way to sensible immigration policy

[peejay 327]

Canada may point the way to sensible immigration policy

Syndicated columnist Froma Harrop

Ripped from the news: Haitians are illegally crossing into Vermont from Canada, looking for work.

Why didn't the Haitians stay in Canada, where the social-safety net is far cushier? Because, as the head of a Haitian radio station in Montreal told The New York Times, "they saw that they had no chance to become Canadian permanent residents." And, he added, "people thought that the United States were going to receive all the Haitians."

What do we take home from this?

First off, porous borders are not the biggest reason that illegal immigration has become such a huge problem in the United States. Note that while President Obama is sending up to 1,200 National Guard troops to secure the border with Mexico, there are no troops, rivers or even fences along most of the U.S.-Canadian border. Some country roads mark the boundary with a simple stone.

True, illegal aliens can walk into the United States from Mexico. The logistics are easier in the American Southwest. But there are plenty of illegal workers in Washington state, Michigan and Maine — and little stopping them from going on to Canada.

Our northern neighbor has a large immigration program but little illegal immigration, because Ottawa won't tolerate it. No country with generous entitlements can afford a growing population of low-income workers.

Canada tweaks its immigration program to meet economic needs. It favors entrants with highly desirable skills. And when the economy recently turned sour, it stopped renewing many temporary work permits.

Should America do as Canada does? Should it stringently enforce its ban on hiring illegal workers? Yes. And should it stop fretting over what happens to undocumented people already in the country? Yes, but not yet.

What separates the United States from Canada on illegal immigration is a consistent message.

America's landmark 1986 immigration-reform law banned the hiring of illegal workers while granting amnesty to several million already here. But it was purposely rendered toothless at the last minute, when saboteurs yanked out a provision requiring a secure check of job applicants' identities.

Talk about messages. Suppose you're an impoverished Mexican. You know that the United States has offered several amnesties to illegal workers, and in any case, hasn't much enforced the law. You heard President George W. Bush announce that he was going to "match any willing worker with any willing employer." And you know that the conservative Wall Street Journal has called for open borders, while the liberal New York Times runs editorials on immigration that refuse to distinguish between legal and illegal.

What would you do? You would come to the United States, papers be damned.

We've had several decades of a two-faced immigration policy during which millions have come to this country illegally, taken jobs, started families and become part of the American scene. They are mostly good people who have been integrated into our economy and communities. There must be a last amnesty to cover them.

And it will be the last one if two things happen: One, we pass immigration reform that requires every new hire to present counterfeit-proof ID. Two, the public demands that their government go after lawbreaking employers.

After virtually no enforcement in the Bush years, the Obama administration has begun to cite and fine employers who break the law. This is needed to move public opinion toward an immigration package that includes legalizing many already here. Sending troops to the border may also boost confidence.

But as Canada shows us, it's not the ease of crossing the border that encourages illegal immigration, but the ease of getting a job once in. The United States needs to get its act together and its message straight on immigration.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2011971535_harrop28.html

[evli1966 88]

Canada may point the way to sensible immigration policy

Syndicated columnist Froma Harrop

Ripped from the news: Haitians are illegally crossing into Vermont from Canada, looking for work.

Why didn't the Haitians stay in Canada, where the social-safety net is far cushier? Because, as the head of a Haitian radio station in Montreal told The New York Times, "they saw that they had no chance to become Canadian permanent residents." And, he added, "people thought that the United States were going to receive all the Haitians."

What do we take home from this?

First off, porous borders are not the biggest reason that illegal immigration has become such a huge problem in the United States. Note that while President Obama is sending up to 1,200 National Guard troops to secure the border with Mexico, there are no troops, rivers or even fences along most of the U.S.-Canadian border. Some country roads mark the boundary with a simple stone.

True, illegal aliens can walk into the United States from Mexico. The logistics are easier in the American Southwest. But there are plenty of illegal workers in Washington state, Michigan and Maine — and little stopping them from going on to Canada.

Our northern neighbor has a large immigration program but little illegal immigration, because Ottawa won't tolerate it. No country with generous entitlements can afford a growing population of low-income workers.

Canada tweaks its immigration program to meet economic needs. It favors entrants with highly desirable skills. And when the economy recently turned sour, it stopped renewing many temporary work permits.

Should America do as Canada does? Should it stringently enforce its ban on hiring illegal workers? Yes. And should it stop fretting over what happens to undocumented people already in the country? Yes, but not yet.

What separates the United States from Canada on illegal immigration is a consistent message.

America's landmark 1986 immigration-reform law banned the hiring of illegal workers while granting amnesty to several million already here. But it was purposely rendered toothless at the last minute, when saboteurs yanked out a provision requiring a secure check of job applicants' identities.

Talk about messages. Suppose you're an impoverished Mexican. You know that the United States has offered several amnesties to illegal workers, and in any case, hasn't much enforced the law. You heard President George W. Bush announce that he was going to "match any willing worker with any willing employer." And you know that the conservative Wall Street Journal has called for open borders, while the liberal New York Times runs editorials on immigration that refuse to distinguish between legal and illegal.

What would you do? You would come to the United States, papers be damned.

We've had several decades of a two-faced immigration policy during which millions have come to this country illegally, taken jobs, started families and become part of the American scene. They are mostly good people who have been integrated into our economy and communities. There must be a last amnesty to cover them.

And it will be the last one if two things happen: One, we pass immigration reform that requires every new hire to present counterfeit-proof ID. Two, the public demands that their government go after lawbreaking employers.

After virtually no enforcement in the Bush years, the Obama administration has begun to cite and fine employers who break the law. This is needed to move public opinion toward an immigration package that includes legalizing many already here. Sending troops to the border may also boost confidence.

But as Canada shows us, it's not the ease of crossing the border that encourages illegal immigration, but the ease of getting a job once in. The United States needs to get its act together and its message straight on immigration.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2011971535_harrop28.html

While you are correct and do state it is an issue across both political parties you should go further back when when Carter allowed the influx of illegal immigrants to receive non resident work visas to be migrants picking crops. These are the illegals that were given amnesty by Reagan (2.7million). This is precedence that has led us to where we are today.

Obama and his followers have one agenda legalize illegals in hopes of winning over more constituents for the next election.

I am a democrat and as one of many think this is the wrong direction of our party.

Stop the employers hiring illegal aliens, stop anchor babies, deport those who are already here (take them to the border and make them walk back across if they are able to do so) They can drive if they have a vehicle, sell their house etc; they paid their way here they can pay their way back. The answer at this point is to make it very clear the illegals aliens will not be tolerated and rewarded those who hire, transport across borders etc. shall be punished harshly.

We must change how the legal immigration works make it an easier process and less intimidating.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

While you are correct and do state it is an issue across both political parties you should go further back when when Carter allowed the influx of illegal immigrants to receive non resident work visas to be migrants picking crops. These are the illegals that were given amnesty by Reagan (2.7million). This is precedence that has led us to where we are today.

So you're saying that Reagan's scamnesty (from which I suffered the delayed aftereffects) was more of a symptom than a disease? Well, I'm not surprised that Carter would have done such a stupid act--only any sensible act from Jimmy-the-Dhimmi would be shocking!

Obama and his followers have one agenda legalize illegals in hopes of winning over more constituents for the next election.

I am a democrat and as one of many think this is the wrong direction of our party.

Stop the employers hiring illegal aliens, stop anchor babies, deport those who are already here (take them to the border and make them walk back across if they are able to do so) They can drive if they have a vehicle, sell their house etc; they paid their way here they can pay their way back. The answer at this point is to make it very clear the illegals aliens will not be tolerated and rewarded those who hire, transport across borders etc. shall be punished harshly.

We must change how the legal immigration works make it an easier process and less intimidating.

Also, one thing you neglected--Immigration officials should be trained on the ramifications of deals/acts which do have effect on immigration (cases in point, 1988 Canada-US Free-Trade Deal which morphed into post-1993 NAFTA)--which was actually woefully lacking at least until 2000¹ (I found this out in March 1999 when I returned to Hartsfield from Gatwick on a TN-1²--the official asked "where's the visa?", laying bare his lack of training about NAFTA³).

1. I doubt the situation changed much after that point, date only used due to issue being moot for me (I had gotten my GC at Montreal in December 1999, so the TN-1 migraines were over) by then
2. straight-through flight, not via Pearson (or any other Canadian airport with PFI)
3. six years into NAFTA, and 10 years after Canada-US free trade deal official--enough said on that matter!

Edited June 2, 2010 by Saddle Bronc

[Heracles 417]

While you are correct and do state it is an issue across both political parties you should go further back when when Carter allowed the influx of illegal immigrants to receive non resident work visas to be migrants picking crops. These are the illegals that were given amnesty by Reagan (2.7million). This is precedence that has led us to where we are today.

Obama and his followers have one agenda legalize illegals in hopes of winning over more constituents for the next election.

I am a democrat and as one of many think this is the wrong direction of our party.

Stop the employers hiring illegal aliens, stop anchor babies, deport those who are already here (take them to the border and make them walk back across if they are able to do so) They can drive if they have a vehicle, sell their house etc; they paid their way here they can pay their way back. The answer at this point is to make it very clear the illegals aliens will not be tolerated and rewarded those who hire, transport across borders etc. shall be punished harshly.

We must change how the legal immigration works make it an easier process and less intimidating.

I didn't realize that about carter, very interesting.

What makes my blood boil is people calling for immigration reform and equating this to amnesty and temp visas. Sorry, this is not reform. It's like saying lets reform crime by freeing everyone from prisons and reclassifying all crimes to accidents.

I was watching a discussion on MSNBC with someone from AZ versus some LA Raza advocate [aka clown] and wanted to throw the LCD out the window when she spoke. She also defended the right to citizenship by birth because apparently doing otherwise would create a two class system.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Yeah, good idea, the other thing we could do is drop our average annual temperature 22 degrees or so, convert 90% of our country's territory to uninhabitable frozen tundra or snowy forest and perpetual bogs, subject ALL our ports to 4 months of frozen inoperation. That would cut down on illegal immigration. But we would have free healthcare. Oh...IF the neighboring country where 90% of our population lived within 30 minutes of (to escape uninhabitable frozen tundra, snowy foresta and perpetual bogs)had a profit based health system we could use as needed to relieve congestion in our own system and IF they provided nearly all our military capacity, FREE, on an "as-needed" basis.

Yes, lets be like Canada.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Yes, we are having a problem with Haitians recently in Vermont. Many are in Quebec because their Haitian Creole language is close enough to the Quebecois/French to get by without learning a "new language". When the US extended this immigration situation to Haitians that they would not be deported because of the earthquake situation, they all pour across from Quebec. Very few will stay in Vermont, they will pass through and get jobs somewhere else. They have arrested some 10 times more than normal illegal immigrants here lately (incidentally, it is never Canadians immigrating illegally)

Canada fluctuates their immigration policy based on the work situation. Currently they are quite strict and it was difficult for Alla to renew her permit to work as a model in Quebec for occasional photo shoots. I mean just to go there and have her picture taken! In 2006 I got a 6 month work permit for $75 at the border. it took two hours to process, and a 6 month extension by mail to complete a project in Montreal. They were short handed at the time. They even waive any requirements to show "need" for certain occupations at certain times. At other times the "Syndicates" (unions) in Quebec bottle up all the jobs and you won't be getting one unless you are Quebecois and speak fluent French.