Toronto seems to have an agenda for taking care of their own as “Toronto Becomes Canada’s first Sanctuary For Illegal Immigrants” according to Yahoo News. Toronto City Councillors voted 37-3 in favour for Motion CD 18.5 an “access without fear” motion of supplying illegal immigrants access to all city funded initiatives this past week. What this means is that they will allow undocumented migrants access to services such as the food banks and shelters and other offerings from the city.
When I read this I thought, oh man here we go the gates are open, but are we being too harsh on Toronto for wanting to help these people? As a legal permanent resident (PR) in Canada I can tell you the process to move to Canada is not an easy process and one that I’m sure I’ll write about in full length one day.
I remember reading about people complaining about all the “free” stuff immigrants get when they moved to Canada and thinking, “free” show me the way because “nothing” was handed to me on a silver platter when I became a PR.
In fact I think I was lucky because the entire process was fairly quick only because we had no kids, never been convicted of a crime, never been married etc.. etc.
Immigration Minister, Jason Kenny has put provisions in place to speed up the mismanaged immigration system as he puts it because there was over a million people waiting for decisions which took upwards of 9 years for most.
It’s no wonder people weren’t waiting around. Kenny says, “We are moving towards a faster immigration system which will allow which will allow us to do a much better job at selecting people likely to succeed in Canada’s economy and likely to integrate quickly and successfully”.
I agree that Canada is compassionate towards refugees and family reunification and I if my mum and dad wanted to move here to be with me then I’d be OK with that as long they could support themselves or I could help them out.
When is enough is enough though? There are millions of people who are suffering in this world and my heart bleeds for them and in 2011 Canada accepted 8000 refugees that put in a claim.
I played by the rules and filled out every lick of detail immigration Canada wanted from me and you know what, it wasn’t easy. If you read my blog you know that I’m well-travelled and I’ve been to some countries where I simply struggled to imagine how people live their lives the way they do.
The violence, the crime, the abuse, the hate is difficult at times to take in but it is a reality all over the world even in our own country. I often say that you don’t miss what you’ve never had and justify it from that perspective but when it comes to the basic necessities of life it’s easy to know what you are missing especially if it’s just love.
Photo Courtesy of Victor Habbick/freedigitalphotos.net
Toronto A Diverse City
I’ll admit that my first trip to Toronto was like visiting many countries all at the same time because you pretty much can see it all, hear it all and in some cases do it all in Toronto.
Toronto is a very diverse city that has much to offer its visitors and residents and I enjoy living here. It’s like the Mecca for a “new beginning” for people, and for others where they believe they will get noticed, land on the cover of a magazine, a record deal, an acting gig, run the biggest companies or bump into someone famous.
In Hollywood, London UK, New York, Vancouver and Toronto are where people believe dreams do come true and for some they may. All it takes is for one person to tell another, you can do this or that and wow, you should see this or that then the “desire” is there to gravitate towards these places.
New Immigration Rules
Just look at Immigration Canada how they had to put stringent rules in place just last year as of October 25,2012 for married couples to prevent marriage fraud. Once you sponsor someone you are committing to an “undertaking” which means you will provide the basic necessities of life including healthcare and financial support so as they do not apply for social assistance.
It seems that times vary now but when I moved here my wife had an undertaking of 3 years for me. In that time I had to work hard to build credit in Canada as a new permanent resident and stand on my own two feet, and I did just that.
So what would happen is people would marry, move to Canada, leave them, claim social assistance and then the money they get comes out of your pocket, brilliant. Don’t say, “oh you should know better” or “you shouldn’t meet online”, or you shouldn’t “date someone overseas”.
You could be on business and meet the man or woman of your dreams so do you say, “nope sorry you don’t live in Canada so I can’t date you”. That’s rubbish and silly to say.
You can’t control who you love, heck that person in the bar could be anyone they want just like the person on the internet you Skype with or the person you met while vacationing. Don’t be a fool, be smart and don’t let your heart lead the way in everything that you do in life.
Now you have to legitimately live with your spouse for 2 years or you can wave your arse goodbye right back to where you came from. Oh they are not taking any more crap at immigration and I don’t blame them especially with these commercial transactions of marriage. Unsuspecting Canadians are getting screwed so they aim to try and protect them but we should be protecting ourselves.
No we are not all that way, but there has to be strict provisions in place, I get it. Others are not so lucky because they are suckered in by so-called “love” by people who want to leave their crap life and move to the Hollywood Mecca of the world…. Canada. They will do or say whatever it takes to get here and in some cases pay for love.
I had to put a lot of effort into immigrating to Canada from a medical to fees to pay and process my immigration application, never mind the weeks of paperwork that looks like a thick manual.
Some of the ways we had to prove our love would shock you but if that’s what it takes to prove to immigration you are in fact a couple that is in love, and in a genuine relationship then you do it. So, yes you bet it’s odd to hear that some people just drop in and never go home and can claim refugee to stay even though I understand there are people who claim refugee status for legitimate reasons.
That’s part of Canada’s passion but how far is too far when they all claim it or forget to say, hey I’m in your country to stay by the way, you don’t mind, do you?
The Gates Are Open
I’m not sure what’s going to happen but I can tell you that immigration Canada is making it harder to come here although in some cases it seems we are making it easier which is very conflicting if you ask me.
I’m on the fence with all of this to be honest although I’m not sure if we are encouraging people to walk through the gates believing they will be taken care of no matter who they are. I can however see how it’s hard to turn a blind eye to what is already here.
There are systems in place in order to sponsor family members or to claim refugee status and it’s a system that should be complied with. We should focus more on figuring out how to make the system better which I believe and hope Kenny is doing as opposed to us giving in.
Remember though that you can’t fix a problem with a problem. If we all start to do things the wrong way the drain on society will get deeper and deeper.
I for one have a solid heart and care but what I don’t have is money to pay for people who aren’t contributing to society, who didn’t have to go through the process like the rest of us.
I open my home, I open my ears, I open my heart and I open my arms but I can’t always open my bank account when there’s nothing to give. So for now Toronto may be deemed the new sanctuary and as the yahoo article says, “mi casa e su casa” which I believe is the new voice of Toronto.
There will always be eyes that will tell a story, tears that will break your heart and compassion to save the world but there’s no point putting rules in place if we are sending the message that the gates are wide open to just about anyone.
Is this the right move for Toronto?
What’s Been Happening at Canadian Budget Binder?
Not a whole heck of a lot to be honest but I expect some changes to be around the corner for all of us.
On the home front I’ve been busy planting my seedlings which I will talk more about in the upcoming weeks.
It gave me that distinct feeling that summer was on its way and I feel good about that. Other than that I’ll getting a move on with some things around the house and hopefully finish up some training that I’ve been slated to do.
Ever notice there is never a dull day, but that’s OK. As long as I wake up in the morning, surround myself with positive people and keep smiling and love, life is all good.
Check Out This Weeks Canadian Budget Binder Blog Posts
- The Grocery Game Challenge #8 Feb 18-24, 2013 Buy Now or Buy Later
- Mr.CBB’s Personal Finance Reading List #8 – Working Past Age 65
- Income Tax Is Like A Four Letter Word
- Becoming a Single Homeowner Part 2 – Property and Down Payment
- Making The Best Of What Is Available- My Grocery Shopping
- Mr. CBB’s Stuffed Crepes with Lemon, Sugar and Yogurt
What People Searched to Find Canadian Budget Binder:
Search terms really help me to understand what people are looking for at Canadian Budget Binder! Any typos below are simply how the person who searched typed it in search, or me 
Another week of thousands of searches but only a few good ones worth mentioning.
Top Pick: I Need A Spell To Get My Husband Back- No, you need a spell to wake you up from this awful dream.
- How can we design a grocery store– That’s far beyond the scope of CBB that’s for sure
- Large Canadian Government Websites- Nope, not me either
- What happened to the Driven To Quit Challenge? – I think they cancelled it this year BUT you don’t need the DTQ challenge to quit all you need is to challenge yourself.
- They were on Til Debt Do Us Part- Nope not us
- Women always want to be right– oh oh sounds like someone’s in trouble
Related articles
- The Saturday Weekend Review February #6~Well Behaved Kids Score Their Family A Dining Discount! (canadianbudgetbinder.com)
- Emigrating to Canada ~ Should I Rent Out My House (canadianbudgetbinder.com)
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I work in a place with a variety of ethnic backgrounds. Two stories come to mind. One man has PR status, and after an unsuccessful search here, he ended up having his parents find a wife for him back home (Phillipines). He married her there almost a year ago, and is still waiting fer her to be allowed to come to Canada.
Another co-worker was the groom in an arranged marriage. He was born here in Canada, but his parents had arranged a wife for him in India, If he had refused to marry her, he would have had to pay a large sum of money to her. She came to Canada about 8 months after the wedding.
Both these people know that their marriages are real, but have friends who have been paid off just to marry someone so they could emigrate to Canada.
I am an immigrant as well (came with my parents from the UK in 1976). I’m all for people moving to another country in an effort to better their lives, my only complaint is when they don’t do anything to join Canadian society or culture. We all know people who have been here for 30 years and still don’t speak either English or French. When I came here, speaking the language was compulsory. Why did that change?
We see that happen every day although it’s mainly old school seniors that come here and don’t learn English, likely because they lean on their children or they simply don’t care to learn because they are so old. When they are younger, sure they should be learning. I know one lady who is Chinese, her husband can’t speak a lick of English, and she studies it like crazy enough to land her a decent production job. The daughter speaks perfect english but is only 11 or 12 and does most of the translating. It’s incredible but at least the mother is working very hard to learn the language where her husband has no interest. Nice family though.
FYI, they have tour groups coming from China under surveillance now.
Apparently some people recently came as “tourists”, and then disappeared from the group into the crowd as illegal immigrants.
I can understand moving to Canada legitimately (I too, am an immigrant), so while on the one hand I have very little sympathy for those who move here illegally, on the other hand, as an immigrant who tried to move to the U.S., and saw the kind of people who are desperate to live there (coming from Mexico for instance), it’s hard not to accept them.
A subject rife with problems but barely any good solutions.
Still, I err on the side of the law. You should come legally, not illegally.
That doesn’t surprise me one bit if they go missing I’m sure there’s plenty more where that comes from. If they know they can they will come.. that’s what I’m saying really. The gates are open, suitcases are packed. Is that the message Toronto is saying.. or are they trying to bring them out of the wood works.. I can only see the city being over run eventually with the sanctuary they have professed.. we will see… yes legally is the right way but when there’s a hole someone’s gonna take it. Cheers mate.
Immigration is a huge problem in the U.S as well. I find it hypocritical when Mexico criticizes the US for building a wall on the US/Mexican border when Mexico is doing the same exact thing their border with Guatemala. The fact is a lot people say they a diverse country but in reality they end up forming their own communities with people similar to themselves.
In a way that is true especially in Toronto where you sill see cultures all move into one area of the city and form neighbourhoods of the same culture.
A very interesting read….Canada is a nation built by immigrants and always has been. If you look at history immigration is the story behind all of it. The French and the British first. When-ever and where-ever there have been problems ‘back home’ there have been immigrants. The Irish Potato Famine, WWl, WWll, the Iron Curtain and the rise of communism, War Brides, revolutions all over the globe, civil wars…. you name it. Those that would try to escape the problems and the brutality of their home country have come here to make a new life. Some came up through the system and some came as refugees. They have all been welcome through-out our history. But the fact remains that no matter how you try to make the selection there will be people that will abuse that same system for their own gain. Always has been…. Always will be… Deal with that one as best you can. I think this is what they are trying to do, especially if you are dealing with refugees that may not be able to go through the system due to any number of reasons. Give those a hand up to a better life. Those that wish to abuse our generousity can go back where they came from on the next flight. Those that bring the old problems and bias’s here can go back too. If you cannot/will not live by the rules and the laws here…. there’s the door, don’t let it hit you on the way out.
It’s a matter of when is enough is enough I think. Thanks for your insight as always Christine. Cheers mate
I think it’s the right move. Perhaps it’s because my parents are Asian, but I have met lots of Asian immigrants who come here solely to scam the system. For example, they will claim welfare and yet make plenty of money on the side by selling knock off clothes and accessories. I say, “Send ’em away and make it harder for them to come back”.
There are so many people who legitimately want to come to Canada to live and work and yet getting a work visa, even for Americans and Europeans, can be a giant pain. Why are we making it hard for people, most of whom already have jobs lined up, to come and work here and be productive?
As well, the marriage issue is definitely a problem. Again, perhaps because of my parents ethnicity, I’ve experienced many requests from “friends of friends of family” who live in Asia and want to come to Canada. I’ve even been offered $25k to “marry” someone so that they could come to Canada. Screw that! I was so offended that my parents would even suggest it. If you bring a spouse over and you don’t stay together for a minimum amount of time, the immigrant spouse should definitely get sent back and the Canadian spouse should have to pay fines/costs.
-cf
I don’t agree that the spouse should have to pay fines. I mean, what if someone gets married and it doesn’t work out, it’s neither of their faults, the landed immigrant gets sent back and that’s it. What if the Canadian was duped into the marriage hence the new rules and was devastated when they found out and their spouse left them but got deported because it wasn’t with-in the time limit. There’s alot of parameters around situations and hopefully they sort it out for the best. 🙂
Very educational and informative post, Mr. CBB. I agree with you totally: immigration is great when it’s done right by the govt and for the right reasons by the immigrants. We’ve had lots of the same problems here in the U.S. where people are coming in illegally in droves and expecting to be supported by the govt., and that’s part of the reason that we’ve got a 16 trillion plus deficit right now. What is the answer, I don’t know. But it’s not fair to people like you who follow all of the rules and do it the right way when others are allowed to sneak in and expect support from the govt without any consequences for not following the rules or any plan to do things right. But then again, if I and my family were living in some hellhole of a country and were desperate to escape, I might feel very differently…..
That’s just it there is two sides to every story and people will do whatever it takes if there life is a so-called hell hole. They will do anything to keep safe. It’s hard to say really.. sad our world is this way.
I guess it’s not the U.S. that has an immigration problem. One standing joke that I always throw out is that if the crap ever hits the fans it will be the Americans flooding to Mexico. the Mexican authorities wouldn’t know what to do!
I think there is an immigration problem all over the place and what they choose to do to fix these problems is yet to be seen but looks like they are at least recognizing it.