Post by mat on Dec 7, 2005 14:54:24 GMT -5
After the Second World War (during which all emigration posts except London were closed), the departments responsible for immigration began to reopen posts rapidly to deal with the large volume of applications for entry to Canada, both from refugees and ordinary settlers. Generally speaking, these posts maintained uneasy relations with the External Affairs missions with which they often coexisted. (For more information on this period, see Freda Hawkins. Canadian Immigration: Public Policy and Public Concern. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1972, rev. ed., 1988.
1945-1947 In the immediate post-war period, immigration controls remained tight, while pressure mounted for a more open immigration policy and a humanitarian response to the displaced persons in Europe.
May 1946 Order in Council issued allowing Canadian citizens to sponsor brothers and sisters, parents and orphaned nephews and nieces.
May 1946 Canadian officials were directed to accept identity documents and travel documents in lieu of passports from displaced persons.
July 1946 The government decided to admit 3,000 Polish veterans. They were obliged to work on a farm for one year after their arrival in Canada.
1946 Canadian Citizenship Act adopted, creating a separate Canadian citizenship, distinct from British (Canada was the first Commonwealth country to do so).
Nov. 1946 The Prime Minister announced emergency measures to aid the resettlement of European refugees. It was some months before anything was done concretely, and the door did not open for refugees without relatives in Canada until mid-1947. Selection of refugees was guided by economic considerations (the Department of Labour was involved), ethnic prejudices (Jews were routinely rejected) and political bias (those with left-wing or Communist sympathies were labelled "undesirables"). Refugees also had to be in good health. An External Affairs officer claimed that Canada selected refugees "like good beef cattle".
Jan. 1947 Italians were removed from the category of "enemy aliens" leading to a period of significant Italian immigration.
April 1947 Beginning of the Displaced Person (DP) movement. 186,154 displaced persons came to Canada between 1947 and 1952.
1 May 1947 Prime Minister Mackenzie King made a statement in the House outlining Canada's immigration policy. "The policy of the government is to foster the growth of the population of Canada by the encouragement of immigration. The government will seek by legislation, regulation, and vigorous administration, to ensure the careful selection and permanent settlement of such numbers of immigrants as can advantageously be absorbed in our national economy." Regarding discrimination, he made it clear that Canada is "perfectly within her rights in selecting the persons whom we regard as desirable future citizens". Still, he allowed that it might be as well to remove "objectionable discrimination". On the other hand, "the people of Canada do not wish, as a result of mass immigration, to make a fundamental alteration in the character of our population. Large-scale immigration from the orient would change the fundamental composition of the Canadian population".
1 May 1947 Order in Council issued allowing legal residents (and not just citizens) to sponsor fiancé(e)s, spouses and unmarried children.
May 1947 Chinese Immigration Act repealed, following pressure, e.g. by the Committee for the Repeal of the Chinese Immigration Act, formed by church and labour groups. Chinese immigration was henceforth regulated by the 1930 rules for "Asiatics" which allowed only the sponsorship of wife and children by Canadian citizens.
August 1948 The first of a total of 9 boats carrying 987 Estonian refugees arrived on the east coast of Canada. They sailed from Sweden, where they were living under threat of forced repatriation to the Soviet Union. They had been trying to resettle to Canada but had been frustrated by the long delays and barriers in Canadian immigration processing. They were detained on arrival and processed through an ad hoc arrangement. All but 12 were accepted (the 12 were deported).
1950 The Department of Citizenship and Immigration was formed.
June 1950 Order in council issued replacing previous measures on immigration selection. The preference was maintained for British, Irish, French and U.S. immigrants. The categories of admissible European immigrants were expanded to include healthy applicants of good character with skills and who could readily integrate. The order gave wide discretion for refusals and Blacks continued to be for the most part excluded.
1950 Germans were removed from the categories of "enemy aliens".
1951 Census. Of the population of 14,009,429, 14.7% were immigrants (i.e. born outside Canada). 47% of immigrants were female, 80% had been in Canada for more than 10 years and 29% lived in rural localities. 44% of immigrants were born in the United Kingdom, 13.7% in the U.S., 9% in the USSR and 8% in Ireland. There were 37,145 immigrants from "Asiatic countries", of whom 24,166 were from China. In terms of origins, of the total population, 48% had origins in the British Isles, 31% in France and 4% in Germany. There were 18,020 "Negroes" reported (fewer than in the 1921, 1931 and 1941 censuses). 97% of the population was of European origin.
Feb. 1951 An interest-free Assisted Passage Loan Scheme was created, restricted to immigrants from Europe.
1951 Agreements were signed with the governments of India, Pakistan and Ceylon by which Canada agreed to allow in certain numbers of their citizens (over and above those eligible under the rules for "Asiatics").
1951 The Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees was adopted. Canada did not become a signatory because the RCMP feared that it would restrict Canada's ability to deport refugees on security grounds.
1952 A new Immigration Act was passed, less than a month after it was introduced in the House (it came into effect 1 June 1953). This Act, which did not make substantial changes to immigration policy, gave the Minister and officials substantial powers over selection, admission and deportation. It provided for the refusal of admission on the grounds of nationality, ethnic group, geographical area of origin, peculiar customs, habits and modes of life, unsuitability with regard to the climate, probable inability to become readily assimilated, etc. Homosexuals, drug addicts and drug traffickers were added to the prohibited classes. The Act provided for immigration appeal boards, made up of department officials, to hear appeals from deportation.
1953 The Approved Church Program was set up, giving four groups power to select and process immigrants. Tensions ensued, partly because the groups favoured the most desperate refugees, while the Department was looking for labourers. The groups' privileged status was revoked in 1958 through a departmental directive.
1954 Report of a Canadian Bar Association sub-committee criticized the arbitrary exercise of power by immigration officials and called for a quasi-judicial Immigration Appeals Board.
1956 The Supreme Court ruled in Brent that the discretion given immigration officials under the regulations exceeded the provisions of the Immigration Act. As a result, an Order in Council was issued dividing countries into categories of preferred status.
Nov. 1956 The crushing of the Hungarian uprising led to over 200,000 Hungarians fleeing to Austria. In response to public pressure, the Canadian government implemented a special program with free passage. Thousands of Hungarians arrived in the early months of 1957 on over 200 chartered flights. More than 37,000 Hungarians were admitted in less than a year.
1957 In the federal election campaign, John Diefenbaker promised his government would develop a vigorous immigration policy and overhaul the Immigration Act.
1957 The backlog of sponsored cases in the Rome office had reached 52,000.
1958 It was decided that prospective immigrants must apply from their own country.
March 1959 The government restricted admission of family members, in a measure particularly aimed at curbing immigration of Italian family members. The measure met with loud protests and was rescinded a month later.
Fall 1959 In the Speech from the Throne, the government promised a new immigration act. However, plans were changed due to fears that getting the act through Parliament would be difficult.
1959-60 World Refugee Year. Canada admitted 325 tubercular refugees and their families (the first time that Canada had waived its health requirements for refugees).
1960 Prime Minister John Diefenbaker introduced the Bill of Rights.
1 July 1960 The Chinese Adjustment Statement Program was announced. The program included measures to curtail illegal entry of Chinese and to land Chinese in Canada without legal status. The initiative followed on the crackdown of a large-scale illegal immigration scheme, involving "paper families". The amnesty program continued throughout the 1960s - by July 1970, 11,569 Chinese had normalized their status.
1961 Census. Of the Canadian population of 18,238,247, 15.6% (2,844,263) were immigrants (i.e. born outside Canada). 48% of the immigrant population was female (but 52% of immigrants from the UK, 54% of those from the U.S. and only 38% of those from "Asiatic countries"). 58% of immigrants had been in Canada for 10 years or more. 34% of immigrants were from the UK, 51% from other European countries (Italy by itself represented 9%), 10% from the U.S., 2% from "Asiatic countries", 0.6% from "other countries" (which includes all of Africa apart from South Africa). 63% of immigrants were Canadian citizens. In terms of "ethnic origins", 43.8% were from the British Isles, 30.4% French, 5.8% German, 2.6% Ukrainian and 2.5% Italian. There were 121,753 "Asiatics" (0.7%). 96.8% of the population was European.
1961 71,689 immigrants arrived - the lowest level since 1947, and a reflection of the economic recession.
Feb. 1962 Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Ellen Fairclough implemented new Immigration Regulations that removed most racial discrimination, although Europeans retained the right to sponsor a wider range of relatives than others.
Nov. 1962 Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Richard Bell suggested that immigration should be at the rate of 1% of the population. Despite high levels of unemployment, immigration was increased.
1966 The Assisted Passage Loan Scheme, originally for immigrants from Europe only, was extended to Caribbeans.
Oct. 1966 A white paper was tabled, recommending an immigration policy that was "expansionist, non-discriminatory, and balanced in reconciling the claims of family relationship with the economic interest of Canada". The paper began: "There is a general awareness among Canadians that the present Immigration Act no longer serves national needs adequately, but there is no consensus on the remedy". Evidently no consensus was found, since the white paper did not lead to a new Act.
1967 Interest began to be charged on loans under the Assisted Passage Loan Scheme.
Oct. 1967 The points system was incorporated into the Immigration Regulations. The last element of racial discrimination was eliminated. The sponsored family class was reduced. Visitors were given the right to apply for immigrant status while in Canada.
Nov. 1967 The Immigration Appeal Board Act was passed, giving anyone ordered deported the right to appeal to the Immigration Appeal Board, on grounds of law or compassion.
1967 8 provincial governments agreed to participate in bringing 50 handicapped refugees into Canada, largely tubercular cases.
August 1968 Warsaw Pact troops enter Czechoslovakia. 10,975 Czechs entered Canada between August 20, 1968 and March 1, 1969. According to the departmental annual report, "[m]any Canadian organizations, universities and provincial and municipal agencies assisted in the settlement of the refugees. Without this surge of public and private cooperation, the task would have been immeasurably more difficult".
1968 Biafrans in Canada were allowed to extend their stay.
4 June 1969 Canada acceded to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol.
1969 A hostel for draft dodgers and deserters from the U.S. was raided 10 times - possibly the result of RCMP-FBI cooperation in the return of deserters to the U.S.
1 April 1970 The Assisted Passage Loan Scheme, previously restricted to Europeans and then Caribbeans, became available worldwide. The interest rate was 6% annually.
1970 The number of people applying for immigration status after entering Canada had "exceeded expectations" and led to a backlog. There were about 8,000 applications in 1967, 28,000 in 1969 and 31,000 in 1970. Delays in processing caused problems for the individuals as they did not have the right to work while awaiting processing. Those refused could apply to the Immigration Appeals Board, leading to the development of a three-year backlog.
1970 Immigration from Asia and the Caribbean represented over 23% of the total, compared with 10% four years previously.
1970 Following Canada's signing of the Refugee Convention, refugee selection became an issue. According the immigration department's annual report: "under our resettlement program, refugees considered capable of successful establishment may be selected regardless of their inability to meet immigration assessment norms". Visa officers took into account resources available from the department and from Canadian organizations and citizens.
1970 First 92 of a group of Tibetan refugees settled in Alberta, Ontario and Québec.
1971 Census. Of the population of 21,568,310, 15.3% (3,295,530) were immigrants (i.e. born outside Canada). 68% of immigrants had been in Canada for 10 years or more. 49.7% of immigrants were female. 12% of immigrants lived in rural areas (compared to 26% of people born in Canada). 79% of immigrants were born in Europe (28% in the UK, 12% in Italy, 6% in Germany, 5% each in Poland and the USSR). "Asiatic countries" were the birthplace for under 4% of immigrants. All African countries are grouped under "other countries" (2% of immigrants). In terms of "ethnic group", 44.6% were from the British Isles, 28.7% French, 6% German, 3.4% Italian, and 2.7% Ukrainian. There were 118,815 Chinese, 67,925 "East Indian", 37,260 Japanese, 34,445 "Negro", 28,025 West Indian and 26,665 "Syrian-Lebanese". 97% of the population was of European origin.
1971-72 The U.S. was the largest source country of immigration, in part because of the large numbers (possibly 30,000-40,000) of draft dodgers and deserters unwilling to fight in Vietnam who found refuge in Canada.
1971 The federal government announced its policy of multiculturalism.
1972 The 10 millionth immigrant since Confederation was celebrated. It was reportedly British psychiatrist Dr Richard Swinson "and his family".
June 1972 An administrative program was announced to reduce the Immigration Appeal Board backlog. By March 1973, 18,500 cases had been reviewed, and nearly 12,000 received a positive response.
August 1972 The Ugandan president announced his intention of expelling Ugandan Asians by November 8, 1972. Canada responded swiftly to an appeal from the UK to take some of these Ugandans (by September 5, a Canadian team of officers had set up office in Kampala), but initially insisted that the applicants meet the usual immigration criteria. However, as the deadline approached, they did allow some relaxation of requirements. By the end of 1973, more than 7,000 Ugandan Asians had arrived, of whom 4,420 came in specially chartered flights.
Nov. 1972 The right to apply for immigrant status while in Canada was revoked.
1973 A Settlement Branch was created within the Department of Manpower and Immigration.
July 1973 Assent was given to amendments to the Immigration Appeal Board Act. The universal right of appeal from a deportation order was abolished and provisions were made to clear up the backlog. Appeals from deportation orders were limited to landed immigrants, people arriving at the border who had been issued a visa overseas and "bona fide refugees". Persons in Canada since 30 November 1972 were given 60 days to apply for adjustment of status. More than 39,000 people from over 150 countries obtained immigrant status.
Sept. 1973 Overthrow of Allende government in Chile. Groups in Canada, particularly the churches, urged the government to offer protection to those being persecuted. In contrast to the rapid processing of Czechs and Ugandan Asians, the Canadian government response to the Chileans was slow and reluctant (long delays in security screenings were a particular problem). Critics charged that the lukewarm Canadian response was ideologically driven. By February 1975, 1188 refugees from Chile had arrived in Canada.
Sept. 1973 The government formed a special task force to study all policy options in immigration.
Oct. 1973 Following a visit by Prime Minister Trudeau to China, an agreement was reached allowing Canada to process applications for family reunification within China.
1974 The federal government launched the Immigrant Settlement and Adaptation Program (ISAP) through which funding for settlement services is provided.
1975 A Green Paper was released and a Special Joint Committee of the Senate and the House of Commons created to study it. It conducted consultations over 35 weeks and held nearly 50 public hearings in 21 cities.
1976 To respond to the civil war in Lebanon, special measures were announced for Lebanese. By 1979, 11,010 immigrant visas had been issued. Additional measures were introduced in 1982 following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon.
Nov. 1976 New Immigration Bill tabled.
Feb. 1977 First meeting of the Standing Conference of Canadian Organizations Concerned for Refugees which became in 1988 the Canadian Council for Refugees.
Feb. 1978 Immigration agreements were signed between the federal government and Québec and Nova Scotia. The former, the Cullen-Couture agreement, gave Québec the power to select its own independent immigrants (subject to medical, criminality and security screening by the federal government).
April 1978 The new Immigration Act came into effect. It identified objectives for the immigration program and forced the government to plan for the future, in consultation with the provinces. Immigrants were divided into four categories: independents, family, assisted relatives and humanitarian. The Refugee Status Advisory Committee was created. The "prohibited" categories were replaced with "inadmissible" categories, among which were no longer to be found epileptics, imbeciles, persons guilty of crimes of moral turpitude, homosexuals and people with tuberculosis. Deputy Minister Allan Gotlieb described the legislation as "a beautiful piece of work - logical, well-constructed, liberal, and workable". The accompanying Immigration Regulations revised the points system and created the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program.
Jan. 1979 Three designated classes were created by regulation: the Indochinese, the Latin American Political Prisoners and Oppressed Persons and the East European Self-Exiled Persons. The classes facilitated the resettlement to Canada of people who met the criteria.
1979-80 60,000 refugees from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia were resettled in Canada. Responding to media reports of the "boatpeople", thousands of Canadians came forward, giving a dramatic launch to the new refugee private sponsorship program. Popular pressure forced the government to adjust upwards its initial commitment to resettling the refugees. For the years 1978-81, refugees made up 25% of all immigrants to Canada.
1981 Census. Of the total population of 24,083,500, 16% were immigrants (i.e. born outside Canada). 51% of immigrants were female. 67% of immigrants were born in Europe, 14% in Asia, 8.5% in North or Central America, 4.5% in the Caribbean, and 2.7% in Africa. Females made up 47% of those born in Italy, 48% of those born in Africa, 51% of those born in China, 53% of those born in North or Central America, 55% of those born in the Caribbean, and 58% of those born in the Philippines. 66% of immigrants had been in Canada for at least 11 years. 11% of immigrants lived in rural areas (compared to 27% of the total Canadian population). 69% of immigrants were Canadian citizens. In terms of ethnic origins, 92% of the population declared a single ethnic origin. 86% of population had a single European ethnic origin (40% British, 27% French). "Asia and Africa" (listed as a single entry) accounted for 3%, "Far East Asia" 1.7%, "North and South America" 2%.
1981 The Foreign Domestic Workers Program was introduced. Those admitted came on a temporary contract, but could apply for permanent residence after 2 years in Canada.
March 1981 Special measures were created for Salvadorans (expanded in 1982 to include Salvadorans in the U.S.)
Nov. 1981 The report of the Task Force on Immigration Practices and Procedures, Refugee Status Determination Process, (the "Robinson Report") was submitted to the Minister of Employment and Immigration. This was the first in a series of such reports on the refugee determination system: the "Ratushny Report" followed in 1984 and the "Plaut Report" in 1985.
Nov. 1982 Poland was added to the countries for the Political Prisoners and Oppressed Persons class, in response to the suppression of the Solidarity movement.
1983 Following the Colombo riots, Canada imposed a visa requirement on Sri Lankans and relaxed landing requirements for some in Canada.
1984 The Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act transferred responsibility for security aspects of immigration from RCMP to the newly created CSIS.
4 April 1985 The Supreme Court of Canada rendered the Singh decision, in which it recognized that refugee claimants are entitled to fundamental justice. The court ruled that this would normally require an oral hearing in the refugee status determination process.
1945-1947 In the immediate post-war period, immigration controls remained tight, while pressure mounted for a more open immigration policy and a humanitarian response to the displaced persons in Europe.
May 1946 Order in Council issued allowing Canadian citizens to sponsor brothers and sisters, parents and orphaned nephews and nieces.
May 1946 Canadian officials were directed to accept identity documents and travel documents in lieu of passports from displaced persons.
July 1946 The government decided to admit 3,000 Polish veterans. They were obliged to work on a farm for one year after their arrival in Canada.
1946 Canadian Citizenship Act adopted, creating a separate Canadian citizenship, distinct from British (Canada was the first Commonwealth country to do so).
Nov. 1946 The Prime Minister announced emergency measures to aid the resettlement of European refugees. It was some months before anything was done concretely, and the door did not open for refugees without relatives in Canada until mid-1947. Selection of refugees was guided by economic considerations (the Department of Labour was involved), ethnic prejudices (Jews were routinely rejected) and political bias (those with left-wing or Communist sympathies were labelled "undesirables"). Refugees also had to be in good health. An External Affairs officer claimed that Canada selected refugees "like good beef cattle".
Jan. 1947 Italians were removed from the category of "enemy aliens" leading to a period of significant Italian immigration.
April 1947 Beginning of the Displaced Person (DP) movement. 186,154 displaced persons came to Canada between 1947 and 1952.
1 May 1947 Prime Minister Mackenzie King made a statement in the House outlining Canada's immigration policy. "The policy of the government is to foster the growth of the population of Canada by the encouragement of immigration. The government will seek by legislation, regulation, and vigorous administration, to ensure the careful selection and permanent settlement of such numbers of immigrants as can advantageously be absorbed in our national economy." Regarding discrimination, he made it clear that Canada is "perfectly within her rights in selecting the persons whom we regard as desirable future citizens". Still, he allowed that it might be as well to remove "objectionable discrimination". On the other hand, "the people of Canada do not wish, as a result of mass immigration, to make a fundamental alteration in the character of our population. Large-scale immigration from the orient would change the fundamental composition of the Canadian population".
1 May 1947 Order in Council issued allowing legal residents (and not just citizens) to sponsor fiancé(e)s, spouses and unmarried children.
May 1947 Chinese Immigration Act repealed, following pressure, e.g. by the Committee for the Repeal of the Chinese Immigration Act, formed by church and labour groups. Chinese immigration was henceforth regulated by the 1930 rules for "Asiatics" which allowed only the sponsorship of wife and children by Canadian citizens.
August 1948 The first of a total of 9 boats carrying 987 Estonian refugees arrived on the east coast of Canada. They sailed from Sweden, where they were living under threat of forced repatriation to the Soviet Union. They had been trying to resettle to Canada but had been frustrated by the long delays and barriers in Canadian immigration processing. They were detained on arrival and processed through an ad hoc arrangement. All but 12 were accepted (the 12 were deported).
1950 The Department of Citizenship and Immigration was formed.
June 1950 Order in council issued replacing previous measures on immigration selection. The preference was maintained for British, Irish, French and U.S. immigrants. The categories of admissible European immigrants were expanded to include healthy applicants of good character with skills and who could readily integrate. The order gave wide discretion for refusals and Blacks continued to be for the most part excluded.
1950 Germans were removed from the categories of "enemy aliens".
1951 Census. Of the population of 14,009,429, 14.7% were immigrants (i.e. born outside Canada). 47% of immigrants were female, 80% had been in Canada for more than 10 years and 29% lived in rural localities. 44% of immigrants were born in the United Kingdom, 13.7% in the U.S., 9% in the USSR and 8% in Ireland. There were 37,145 immigrants from "Asiatic countries", of whom 24,166 were from China. In terms of origins, of the total population, 48% had origins in the British Isles, 31% in France and 4% in Germany. There were 18,020 "Negroes" reported (fewer than in the 1921, 1931 and 1941 censuses). 97% of the population was of European origin.
Feb. 1951 An interest-free Assisted Passage Loan Scheme was created, restricted to immigrants from Europe.
1951 Agreements were signed with the governments of India, Pakistan and Ceylon by which Canada agreed to allow in certain numbers of their citizens (over and above those eligible under the rules for "Asiatics").
1951 The Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees was adopted. Canada did not become a signatory because the RCMP feared that it would restrict Canada's ability to deport refugees on security grounds.
1952 A new Immigration Act was passed, less than a month after it was introduced in the House (it came into effect 1 June 1953). This Act, which did not make substantial changes to immigration policy, gave the Minister and officials substantial powers over selection, admission and deportation. It provided for the refusal of admission on the grounds of nationality, ethnic group, geographical area of origin, peculiar customs, habits and modes of life, unsuitability with regard to the climate, probable inability to become readily assimilated, etc. Homosexuals, drug addicts and drug traffickers were added to the prohibited classes. The Act provided for immigration appeal boards, made up of department officials, to hear appeals from deportation.
1953 The Approved Church Program was set up, giving four groups power to select and process immigrants. Tensions ensued, partly because the groups favoured the most desperate refugees, while the Department was looking for labourers. The groups' privileged status was revoked in 1958 through a departmental directive.
1954 Report of a Canadian Bar Association sub-committee criticized the arbitrary exercise of power by immigration officials and called for a quasi-judicial Immigration Appeals Board.
1956 The Supreme Court ruled in Brent that the discretion given immigration officials under the regulations exceeded the provisions of the Immigration Act. As a result, an Order in Council was issued dividing countries into categories of preferred status.
Nov. 1956 The crushing of the Hungarian uprising led to over 200,000 Hungarians fleeing to Austria. In response to public pressure, the Canadian government implemented a special program with free passage. Thousands of Hungarians arrived in the early months of 1957 on over 200 chartered flights. More than 37,000 Hungarians were admitted in less than a year.
1957 In the federal election campaign, John Diefenbaker promised his government would develop a vigorous immigration policy and overhaul the Immigration Act.
1957 The backlog of sponsored cases in the Rome office had reached 52,000.
1958 It was decided that prospective immigrants must apply from their own country.
March 1959 The government restricted admission of family members, in a measure particularly aimed at curbing immigration of Italian family members. The measure met with loud protests and was rescinded a month later.
Fall 1959 In the Speech from the Throne, the government promised a new immigration act. However, plans were changed due to fears that getting the act through Parliament would be difficult.
1959-60 World Refugee Year. Canada admitted 325 tubercular refugees and their families (the first time that Canada had waived its health requirements for refugees).
1960 Prime Minister John Diefenbaker introduced the Bill of Rights.
1 July 1960 The Chinese Adjustment Statement Program was announced. The program included measures to curtail illegal entry of Chinese and to land Chinese in Canada without legal status. The initiative followed on the crackdown of a large-scale illegal immigration scheme, involving "paper families". The amnesty program continued throughout the 1960s - by July 1970, 11,569 Chinese had normalized their status.
1961 Census. Of the Canadian population of 18,238,247, 15.6% (2,844,263) were immigrants (i.e. born outside Canada). 48% of the immigrant population was female (but 52% of immigrants from the UK, 54% of those from the U.S. and only 38% of those from "Asiatic countries"). 58% of immigrants had been in Canada for 10 years or more. 34% of immigrants were from the UK, 51% from other European countries (Italy by itself represented 9%), 10% from the U.S., 2% from "Asiatic countries", 0.6% from "other countries" (which includes all of Africa apart from South Africa). 63% of immigrants were Canadian citizens. In terms of "ethnic origins", 43.8% were from the British Isles, 30.4% French, 5.8% German, 2.6% Ukrainian and 2.5% Italian. There were 121,753 "Asiatics" (0.7%). 96.8% of the population was European.
1961 71,689 immigrants arrived - the lowest level since 1947, and a reflection of the economic recession.
Feb. 1962 Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Ellen Fairclough implemented new Immigration Regulations that removed most racial discrimination, although Europeans retained the right to sponsor a wider range of relatives than others.
Nov. 1962 Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Richard Bell suggested that immigration should be at the rate of 1% of the population. Despite high levels of unemployment, immigration was increased.
1966 The Assisted Passage Loan Scheme, originally for immigrants from Europe only, was extended to Caribbeans.
Oct. 1966 A white paper was tabled, recommending an immigration policy that was "expansionist, non-discriminatory, and balanced in reconciling the claims of family relationship with the economic interest of Canada". The paper began: "There is a general awareness among Canadians that the present Immigration Act no longer serves national needs adequately, but there is no consensus on the remedy". Evidently no consensus was found, since the white paper did not lead to a new Act.
1967 Interest began to be charged on loans under the Assisted Passage Loan Scheme.
Oct. 1967 The points system was incorporated into the Immigration Regulations. The last element of racial discrimination was eliminated. The sponsored family class was reduced. Visitors were given the right to apply for immigrant status while in Canada.
Nov. 1967 The Immigration Appeal Board Act was passed, giving anyone ordered deported the right to appeal to the Immigration Appeal Board, on grounds of law or compassion.
1967 8 provincial governments agreed to participate in bringing 50 handicapped refugees into Canada, largely tubercular cases.
August 1968 Warsaw Pact troops enter Czechoslovakia. 10,975 Czechs entered Canada between August 20, 1968 and March 1, 1969. According to the departmental annual report, "[m]any Canadian organizations, universities and provincial and municipal agencies assisted in the settlement of the refugees. Without this surge of public and private cooperation, the task would have been immeasurably more difficult".
1968 Biafrans in Canada were allowed to extend their stay.
4 June 1969 Canada acceded to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol.
1969 A hostel for draft dodgers and deserters from the U.S. was raided 10 times - possibly the result of RCMP-FBI cooperation in the return of deserters to the U.S.
1 April 1970 The Assisted Passage Loan Scheme, previously restricted to Europeans and then Caribbeans, became available worldwide. The interest rate was 6% annually.
1970 The number of people applying for immigration status after entering Canada had "exceeded expectations" and led to a backlog. There were about 8,000 applications in 1967, 28,000 in 1969 and 31,000 in 1970. Delays in processing caused problems for the individuals as they did not have the right to work while awaiting processing. Those refused could apply to the Immigration Appeals Board, leading to the development of a three-year backlog.
1970 Immigration from Asia and the Caribbean represented over 23% of the total, compared with 10% four years previously.
1970 Following Canada's signing of the Refugee Convention, refugee selection became an issue. According the immigration department's annual report: "under our resettlement program, refugees considered capable of successful establishment may be selected regardless of their inability to meet immigration assessment norms". Visa officers took into account resources available from the department and from Canadian organizations and citizens.
1970 First 92 of a group of Tibetan refugees settled in Alberta, Ontario and Québec.
1971 Census. Of the population of 21,568,310, 15.3% (3,295,530) were immigrants (i.e. born outside Canada). 68% of immigrants had been in Canada for 10 years or more. 49.7% of immigrants were female. 12% of immigrants lived in rural areas (compared to 26% of people born in Canada). 79% of immigrants were born in Europe (28% in the UK, 12% in Italy, 6% in Germany, 5% each in Poland and the USSR). "Asiatic countries" were the birthplace for under 4% of immigrants. All African countries are grouped under "other countries" (2% of immigrants). In terms of "ethnic group", 44.6% were from the British Isles, 28.7% French, 6% German, 3.4% Italian, and 2.7% Ukrainian. There were 118,815 Chinese, 67,925 "East Indian", 37,260 Japanese, 34,445 "Negro", 28,025 West Indian and 26,665 "Syrian-Lebanese". 97% of the population was of European origin.
1971-72 The U.S. was the largest source country of immigration, in part because of the large numbers (possibly 30,000-40,000) of draft dodgers and deserters unwilling to fight in Vietnam who found refuge in Canada.
1971 The federal government announced its policy of multiculturalism.
1972 The 10 millionth immigrant since Confederation was celebrated. It was reportedly British psychiatrist Dr Richard Swinson "and his family".
June 1972 An administrative program was announced to reduce the Immigration Appeal Board backlog. By March 1973, 18,500 cases had been reviewed, and nearly 12,000 received a positive response.
August 1972 The Ugandan president announced his intention of expelling Ugandan Asians by November 8, 1972. Canada responded swiftly to an appeal from the UK to take some of these Ugandans (by September 5, a Canadian team of officers had set up office in Kampala), but initially insisted that the applicants meet the usual immigration criteria. However, as the deadline approached, they did allow some relaxation of requirements. By the end of 1973, more than 7,000 Ugandan Asians had arrived, of whom 4,420 came in specially chartered flights.
Nov. 1972 The right to apply for immigrant status while in Canada was revoked.
1973 A Settlement Branch was created within the Department of Manpower and Immigration.
July 1973 Assent was given to amendments to the Immigration Appeal Board Act. The universal right of appeal from a deportation order was abolished and provisions were made to clear up the backlog. Appeals from deportation orders were limited to landed immigrants, people arriving at the border who had been issued a visa overseas and "bona fide refugees". Persons in Canada since 30 November 1972 were given 60 days to apply for adjustment of status. More than 39,000 people from over 150 countries obtained immigrant status.
Sept. 1973 Overthrow of Allende government in Chile. Groups in Canada, particularly the churches, urged the government to offer protection to those being persecuted. In contrast to the rapid processing of Czechs and Ugandan Asians, the Canadian government response to the Chileans was slow and reluctant (long delays in security screenings were a particular problem). Critics charged that the lukewarm Canadian response was ideologically driven. By February 1975, 1188 refugees from Chile had arrived in Canada.
Sept. 1973 The government formed a special task force to study all policy options in immigration.
Oct. 1973 Following a visit by Prime Minister Trudeau to China, an agreement was reached allowing Canada to process applications for family reunification within China.
1974 The federal government launched the Immigrant Settlement and Adaptation Program (ISAP) through which funding for settlement services is provided.
1975 A Green Paper was released and a Special Joint Committee of the Senate and the House of Commons created to study it. It conducted consultations over 35 weeks and held nearly 50 public hearings in 21 cities.
1976 To respond to the civil war in Lebanon, special measures were announced for Lebanese. By 1979, 11,010 immigrant visas had been issued. Additional measures were introduced in 1982 following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon.
Nov. 1976 New Immigration Bill tabled.
Feb. 1977 First meeting of the Standing Conference of Canadian Organizations Concerned for Refugees which became in 1988 the Canadian Council for Refugees.
Feb. 1978 Immigration agreements were signed between the federal government and Québec and Nova Scotia. The former, the Cullen-Couture agreement, gave Québec the power to select its own independent immigrants (subject to medical, criminality and security screening by the federal government).
April 1978 The new Immigration Act came into effect. It identified objectives for the immigration program and forced the government to plan for the future, in consultation with the provinces. Immigrants were divided into four categories: independents, family, assisted relatives and humanitarian. The Refugee Status Advisory Committee was created. The "prohibited" categories were replaced with "inadmissible" categories, among which were no longer to be found epileptics, imbeciles, persons guilty of crimes of moral turpitude, homosexuals and people with tuberculosis. Deputy Minister Allan Gotlieb described the legislation as "a beautiful piece of work - logical, well-constructed, liberal, and workable". The accompanying Immigration Regulations revised the points system and created the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program.
Jan. 1979 Three designated classes were created by regulation: the Indochinese, the Latin American Political Prisoners and Oppressed Persons and the East European Self-Exiled Persons. The classes facilitated the resettlement to Canada of people who met the criteria.
1979-80 60,000 refugees from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia were resettled in Canada. Responding to media reports of the "boatpeople", thousands of Canadians came forward, giving a dramatic launch to the new refugee private sponsorship program. Popular pressure forced the government to adjust upwards its initial commitment to resettling the refugees. For the years 1978-81, refugees made up 25% of all immigrants to Canada.
1981 Census. Of the total population of 24,083,500, 16% were immigrants (i.e. born outside Canada). 51% of immigrants were female. 67% of immigrants were born in Europe, 14% in Asia, 8.5% in North or Central America, 4.5% in the Caribbean, and 2.7% in Africa. Females made up 47% of those born in Italy, 48% of those born in Africa, 51% of those born in China, 53% of those born in North or Central America, 55% of those born in the Caribbean, and 58% of those born in the Philippines. 66% of immigrants had been in Canada for at least 11 years. 11% of immigrants lived in rural areas (compared to 27% of the total Canadian population). 69% of immigrants were Canadian citizens. In terms of ethnic origins, 92% of the population declared a single ethnic origin. 86% of population had a single European ethnic origin (40% British, 27% French). "Asia and Africa" (listed as a single entry) accounted for 3%, "Far East Asia" 1.7%, "North and South America" 2%.
1981 The Foreign Domestic Workers Program was introduced. Those admitted came on a temporary contract, but could apply for permanent residence after 2 years in Canada.
March 1981 Special measures were created for Salvadorans (expanded in 1982 to include Salvadorans in the U.S.)
Nov. 1981 The report of the Task Force on Immigration Practices and Procedures, Refugee Status Determination Process, (the "Robinson Report") was submitted to the Minister of Employment and Immigration. This was the first in a series of such reports on the refugee determination system: the "Ratushny Report" followed in 1984 and the "Plaut Report" in 1985.
Nov. 1982 Poland was added to the countries for the Political Prisoners and Oppressed Persons class, in response to the suppression of the Solidarity movement.
1983 Following the Colombo riots, Canada imposed a visa requirement on Sri Lankans and relaxed landing requirements for some in Canada.
1984 The Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act transferred responsibility for security aspects of immigration from RCMP to the newly created CSIS.
4 April 1985 The Supreme Court of Canada rendered the Singh decision, in which it recognized that refugee claimants are entitled to fundamental justice. The court ruled that this would normally require an oral hearing in the refugee status determination process.