HIS312H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Immigration Act, 1976, John Diefenbaker, Ellen Fairclough
Document Summary
Lecture 17: the liberalization of canada"s immigration policies. One third = professionals from br and am. Issues driving policy change: mismatch between intake of immigrants and economic need, too many unskilled immigrants, shortages of skilled workers and professionals among immigrants. Why: sponsorship practices of recent immigrants, sponsoring relatives from rural europe, officials especially concerned about italian immigration. Each worker recruited in italy sponsored 49 people on avg. Rome office backlog of 52000 applicants in 1957: snowballing growth of unskilled, newcomers blamed for rising unemployment in 1958. Threatened reduced access for canadian business unless revisions made: britain and commonwealth. Canada should absorb more migrants from commonwealth countries in africa and caribbean; uk reeling form absorption challenges. Canada concerned to have power and respect within the un: united nations. Internal pressures: immigration officials now favoured ending racial bias = key to change, human rights movement. Growing influence in postwar canada: 1948 un universal declaration of human rights.
