Thread: Canada may point the way to sensible immigration policy

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/o ... rop28.html

Thursday, May 27, 2010 - Page updated at 05:46 PM


Syndicated columnist

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 â€â€

A wonderful post!

Canada also operates a successful "Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program" which satisfactorily meets the needs of Canadian planter/growers for reliable labor without leading to permanent residency:

Please consider petititoning your congressional representatives to reform our H-1B Temporary Workers in Agriculture program along the lines of Canada's Seasonal Agricultural Workers Porgram (SAWP) - link below - which evidently has worked successfully for decades! Under SAWP, the Canadian government contracts directly with other foreign governments, primarily that of Mexico, for seasonal agricultural workers. The foreign governments themselves select the seasonal workers from their country who will participate in the program each year. Canada inspects the operations of the farmers before they certify them as qualified employers, and guarantees all the workers' labor rights and full payment of their wages in Canada. At the end of their employment, all the seasonal agricultural workers are transported directly back to their home countries. (by Air Canada, I think). Both Canadian planter/growers and the workers themselves are satisfied with the SAWP program, and the question of giving such workers resident status in Canada plays no part in it.

http://www.rhdcc-hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/workpl ... _tfw.shtml

written by poster

One glaring mistake by the writer here...

There must be a last amnesty to cover them.

There must NOT be another amnesty to reward illegal aliens. You must break the cycle here and now because if you give this amnesty, THEY WILL COME FOR THE NEXT...That Last amnesty is a guarantee for the next one...NO

Not granting this amnesty is a preventative measure in itself that says "No more. Stop coming here illegally expecting an amnesty"

NO MORE AMNESTIES...Break the cycle now.

Tbow009 wrote:
"One glaring mistake by the writer here...
There must be a last amnesty to cover them."

Unforturnately true. In citing this article when writing elected officials, one could use the philosophy that consistent U.S. immigration enforcement law enforcement together with the mandatory use of E-Verify will lead to increasing "attrition through enforcement", leading most illegal aliens to take their families and go home. Further great helps in this would be if the United States were able to repeal both the current "birthright citizenship" interpretation of the 14th Amendment and the "chain migration" ("family reunification") provisions added to our immigration statutes in 1965.

Simply there must be quotas on new immigrants like it or not we no longer live in an era where ma and pa can come with 5 kids grab 40 acres and a mule to earn a living. While we export all manufacturing jobs we import poor under educated workers, no common sense in this scenario, basically current policy will end middle class life and create another third world society.

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.

Guess she hasn't noticed that "integrating" them in our economy has helped put our economy into another great depression.

Seeing as how Canada has no common border with a 3rd-world country I'm curious to know which countries their guest workers come from.

artclam wrote:
"Seeing as how Canada has no common border with a 3rd-world country I'm curious to know which countries their guest workers come from."

Those employed in Canada's "Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP)" come primarily from Mexico, like most of the foreign agricultural workers in the United States. The rest come from Caribbean countries which were former members of the the British Commonwealth. However, the important difference between Canada's SAWP program and our H-2A Temporary Workers in Agriculture Visa Program is that the Canadian government itself contracts directly with the governments of the nations supplying seasonal agricultural workers, and these foreign governments themselves select the individual workers who are to participate. For its part, the Canadian government is responsible for inspecting and certifying the farms on which these foreign employees will work, where they will be housed, and guaranteeing their full labor rights and payment of wages while they work in Canada. This program evidently has worked effectively in Canada for several decades. I truly do not understand why if Canada can make this program work so well using primarily workers from Mexico why the U.S. cannot, too. The SAWP program is described at the link below:

http://www.rhdcc-hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/workpl ... _tfw.shtml

A guest worker program like they use in Canada most certainly would work in the United States. That is if we ever had a U.S. government in place that actually works for the people rather than for their political careers. Apparently our own government doesn't seem to be too terribly interested in what is right for the our country.[/b]

that is why we the citizens of the US must vote out all the politicians who are for amnesty, pro-illegals, pro-anchor babies out of office in the coming election. We need politicians and there are many who work and will work for the american people and their safety.

Originally Posted by elpasoborn

if we ever had a U.S. government in place that actually works for the people rather than for their political careers. Apparently our own government doesn't seem to be too terribly interested in what is right for the our country.[/b]