In sharp contrast, ordinary people who came to Canada for the same reasons were subjected to stringent visa requirements. Canada's immigration policies has been linked for decades with this country's economic policies. Working people and their organizations have never determined immigration and refugee policies. Governments, usually acting for the dominant employers, have established these policies to suit the needs of the labour market. When cheap labour has been needed in Canada, it was brought in.
Immigrants become a convenient political scapegoat.
Even more odious are immigration and refugee policies which promote the view that immigrants take jobs from Canadians. This is particularly repugnant when it becomes a cover for racism, anti-Semitism, sexism and economic mismanagement. Tragically for immigrants, refugees and all Canadians, the government too often plays into the hands of those who have no qualms about using immigration as a means of whipping up xenophobia and bigotry to promote a narrow political and economic agenda. Paradoxically many share the right- wing political philosophy which advocates immigration as a source of cheap labour. In the current debate, it is important to acknowledge how we respond differently to refugees based on the region of the world where they come from.