Time to close the refugee loophole

By Letter to the Editor on August 1, 2018.

Re: “Canada’s imaginary migrant crisis,” June 21

Jeremy Appel’s opinion is simply a statement of the ongoing liberal/left polices of trying to force nations to an open border situation which is being promoted by some. Many of the immigrants today are economic migrants, most of whom claim refugee status once in the country. The definition of a refugee has been so expanded particularly in a kind-hearted country like Canada whereby nearly everyone qualifies. Comparing the number of refugees accepted versus the number deported would support my observation. The problem for anyone who opposes the broken system we now have is that individual refugees each seem amiable. Therefore, we tend to focus on the individual’s story rather than the overall immigration and refugee system. This human reaction functions as well in our justice system whereby people find individual criminals quite personable except when the are committing crime!

Mr. Appel also misunderstands the situation in the United Sates. I have spent about six years in the U.S. and have travelled to many other countries and lived in a few others. The Americans, being nice people like Canadians, never have really enforced their borders until recently as they, like us, bought into the immigration industries argument about needing more people. Supporting that was the desire for cheap labour which undercut working class Americans just like temporary foreign workers did under the Harper government in Canada.

By international convention refugees are supposed to remain in the first safe country. The U.S. is that country for most who arrive in Canada outside of the border posts. They should all be turned back. It is illegal to enter other than by a regular border post, regardless how liberals and liberal writers spin it. These are economic migrants. Just track how many safe countries they cross. Some fly direct to the U.S. then take a bus or a taxi to our border where they are assisted in by the RCMP. The public relations arrest is ludicrous as they are soon released and handed over to the refugee support groups. People around the world know Canada, the U.S. and a few other countries are the soft touch with the world’s best benefits. Why not try getting into Canada? The odds are you will never be asked to leave.

The problem with mass, uncontrolled immigration is that it undermines legitimate immigrants and refugees; those who follow the rules. It overloads our immigration officers, police and social systems. In addition, it consumes resources which could be better placed used by our health system, First Nations, veterans or senior citizens. Canada simply does not need 500,000 new people every year. Social cohesion and our ability to provide a good life here is threatened.

Regardless of the current government in the U.S., it is still a magnet for immigrants and refugees. It is not a dark place. If Mr. Appel wants to see “dark” countries he should visit the Middle East or Africa rather than criticizing our neighbours. PM Trudeau invited in the thousands economic migrants. It is his government’s problem.

I find it interesting that such a few countries are the target of such economic migration; the five Anglo-Saxon countries, Germany and Sweden; those that have the most generous social programs. It is not rocket science to understand why the economic refugees head there. Very few refugees can make it to Canada without stopping in a safe country. So close that loophole and work on legal immigration and family reunification which I believe most Canadians would support.

Roger Beebe

Medicine Hat

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