I found this on the web http://www.quepasa.com/english/news/imm ... 53207.html


Canada turns down amnesty for undocumented workers

Most of them from Latin America, Asian and Central Europe, undocumented people living and working in Canada, above all in the province of Ontario, the Immigration Secretary Monte Solberg turned down an amnesty because "they would get the wrong message".

Solberg has recently stated that Canada has an immigration system that allows people to make a legal request, so he considered an amnesty as unfair, since those going through the legal channels to immigrate have to wait for their turn.

The ex-liberal government, which lost office in last January 23's elections, had thought about the legalization of a part of the undocumented people who work in areas asking for workers and to be integrated into society.

It is estimated that between 10 thousand and 20 thousand undocumented Latin Americans work in the construction sector in Toronto and other cities of Ontario, and the companies they work for support a legalization of their status in the country.

Since the arrival of conservatives to power, on February 6, this plan was dropped and Solberg explained there will not be any way of legalization, which was criticized by Toronto's newspaper Star.

The editorial of the most-read paper in Canada stated yesterday "we have to be tough but fair", while remembering that from construction to hotels and restaurants those undocumented people do the jobs that Canadians do not want.

Every year Canada deports some ten thousand undocumented people who enter the country with tourist visas, to work temporarily or as refugees.

With unemployment in its lowest level in the last 32 years, and part of the country -as the province of Alberta- with employers looking for people for qualified and non-qualified jobs, Ottawa should find the way to solve both problems.

The Star remembered that the immigration official policy is destined to bring professional and qualified people, but it does not fill the need of non-qualified and low-salary jobs, "a more balanced system is needed".

It proposed a better control to stop the entry of undocumented people, as well as a process to legalize those already employed, without criminal records in this or other country, and who have paid their taxes and learned one of the official languages.

We need a fair policy that fulfills the needs of the country and is rigorously applied. This is the way to show compassion and toughness to finally star fixing the real problem of a faulty immigration policy. NTX