Greek Exodus: Workers Flee to Canada and Australia

[Jacob]

Kinda sucks for the 5% though. I wonder if there are any provisions for them

The new legislation does not prevent them from applying.  The legislation changed the appeal process only.  So presumably those 5% of valid claimants will be unaffected.

Ah... so it's basically a stab at the whole "people abuse the appeals process and stay in the country for years and years collecting welfare when they don't have a claim" complaint. Sounds reasonable on the face of it.

[crazy canuck]

Yeah, that is what I understand it to be.

[Jacob]

Yeah, that is what I understand it to be.

Well given the government's recent record on immigration, I'm willing to take it on faith that they're being sensible on this as well until shown otherwise.

Never thought you'd hear me say something like that about the Conservatives, did you?

[Oexmelin]

What I object to, and what I think the legislation aims to address, are people who have no such valid claim (ie they live in a country where their rights are not violated)

Only problem is identifying "countries where their rights are not violated", and the Conservative record thus far is not encouraging as clearly, some rights (i.e., domestic violence) are not as important as others (ensuring good economic relations with Canada). Case in point, recently, Mexico.

[Jacob]

What I object to, and what I think the legislation aims to address, are people who have no such valid claim (ie they live in a country where their rights are not violated)

Only problem is identifying "countries where their rights are not violated", and the Conservative record thus far is not encouraging as clearly, some rights (i.e., domestic violence) are not as important as others (ensuring good economic relations with Canada). Case in point, recently, Mexico.

I'd imagine that it's purely based on considering domestic violence something that the judicial system in "safe countries" is perfectly capable of handling; that or, thinking that claiming domestic violence is to easy a thing to claim for economic refugees.

How does "good economic relations with Canada" enter into it?

[katmai]

I'm an economic refugee, let me in Canada!

[Razgovory]

Thing is, I suspect that the economic refugees are more likely to have useful skills.  Like doctors and scientist and engineers. 

Interesting suspicion of yours.  Do you have anything to base that on? 

fyi, as Jacob has already mentioned there is a separate way for people with actual skills to enter the country - like doctors, scentists and engineers.

Yep, I elaborate on it after the first two sentences.

[Oexmelin]

I'd imagine that it's purely based on considering domestic violence something that the judicial system in "safe countries" is perfectly capable of handling; that or, thinking that claiming domestic violence is to easy a thing to claim for economic refugees.
How does "good economic relations with Canada" enter into it?

As for "purely based", this is precisely a very, very grey zone. How does one deal with intentions? Is the letter of the law enough? How does one evaluate the actual actions? All of these require a) bureaucratic guidelines, which in turn depend on b) political judgment. Nothing from this government leads me to be terribly optimistic about either, considering their recurring desire to let Ministers do as they please and their complete lack of transparency. Hence, the recent bill removes the responsibility of establishing the list of "safe countries" from a panel of human rights experts to give it solely to the Minister himself, who in turn will base his judgement on the Hearing commission which has been conveniently packed with Conservative candidates who were defeated last elections.

The government has had little scrupules in tarring, say, all the Tamil refugees a year back as "potential threats" and keeping them in jail, but very little in denouncing or acting against countries where economic interests were greater.  The case of Paola Ortiz is a good example: she asked for refugee status on the grounds that she feared for her life because her husband, a police officer, was violent, dangerous, and would never be prosecuted. A report from Immigration Canada from 2003 states: "Mexican society in general perceive domestic violence as a problem pertaining to the private sphere and as normal behaviour. This is why police rarely intervenes in such instances".  But perhaps the situation has changed? A recent publication, dated 2010, mentions that only half the Mexican states consider domestic violence as a crime. In two thirds, non consensual relations between husband and wife are not a crime. In eight of those states, there are no shelter for women.

[Jacob]

I'm not sure I follow you Oex, how does "good economic relations" enter into that?

[Ed Anger]

Stop trying to steal our fruit pickers.

[Martinus]

We definitely have been having a boom for Greek restaurants in Poland lately.