Immigration Act Repressive in The Canadian Student

Dayfoot, Tim

Publisher:  The Student Christian Movement of Canada, Toronto
Year Published:  1979   First Published:  1979
Pages:  1pp  
Resource Type:  Article/Report/Letter
Cx Number:  CX906

Abstract:  This issue of The Canadian Student focuses on the SCM conference, "Repression in Canada"; Tim Dayfoot's article is a report on the talk given by Lorne Waldman on the Immigration Act of April, 1978.
Waldman points out that while the flow of immigrants into Canada is controlled by the Act, much is left to the discretion of the official who decides whether or not someone falls into one of the three "inadmissable classes: "Inadmissable classes" defined in Section 19 of the Act:
1. persons for whom "there are reasonable and probable grounds to believe will commit one or more offences punishable by way of indictment...":
2. persons who have engaged in,or for whom there are reasonable grounds to believe will engage in ; "acts of espionsge or subversion against any democratic governments as they are understood in Canada",..., or "engage in or instigate the subversion by force of any government";
3. persons who are likly to engage in acts of acts of violence against Canadians., or who are members of an organization which is likely to perform such acts.
Since April 1978, a landed immigrant can be deported for a wide range of offences, including being in one of the inadmissable classes. The person facing deportation has a right to hear the charges, a right to counsel, and the right to produce to evidence to refute the charqes; but this process can be sidestepped if, in the opinion of the Immigration Department, this is a case which affects national security. In order to have a visitor deported, the Minstry of Immigration may simply issue a Certificate which stands as absolute and positive proof that the person falls within one of the inadmissable classes.

Subject Headings

• Immigration
• Immigration Law