What's The Rush

Despite a declared amnesty for underground workers, those sans papiers as they are known in Europe, those without papers, now the Conservative government is deporting these foreign workers, giving them the bums rush, as they try and figure out how to run the department.

So the new Minister in charge, Monte Solberg, instead of declaring an amnesty on any further deportations till he actually knows what is going on, instead says steady as she goes.

And off goes the border guard to deport not criminals, not gunrunners or drug smugglers, nope just hard working construction workers. So much for securing the border in Canada against illegal guns, all the Tories have done is sicked the border cops on taxpaying foreign workers. The New Multitdue

And wanting to show they are tough on immigration; like Lou Dobbs, and tougher than George Bush, the Conservatives make an example of hard working folks kicking them out of Canada and telling them to reapply. A real fine example of compassionate conservativism. Ottawa rejects US model on workers

The past three Liberal immigration ministers all announced plans to regularize the status of illegal immigrants who toil in the vast underground economy -- 10,000 to 15,000 in Ontario alone and an estimated 200,000 nationally. Past promises of an amnesty gave false hope to these underground workers, some of whom came forward to file refugee claims and/or humanitarian applications in an attempt to stay -- only to be ordered deported.Foreign labourers shown the door

Ironically this will come to bite them on the ass as the big Tar Sands companies need and want temporary workers to come to work in Alberta which is going through a labour shortage. Lack of Planning Created Skills Shortage in Alberta

They're Alberta bound

So which is it going to be welcome temporary workers or deport workers already here. The mind boggles but at least we know that the labour crisis in Canada is a low priority for the newly appointed Minister.

Solberg says the numbers of Portuguese the Conservative government has removed pale in comparison to the roughly 700 the former Liberal government had deported in the past three years. Last week, he said that dealing with this issue is a "low priority" for the government -- although he denies Ottawa is stepping up deportations or singling out Portuguese. The Canadian Border Services Agency is on track to deport about 10,000 people this year.

Also See: No Place At Home


Find blog posts, photos, events and more off-site about:
immigrants, illegal, workers, aliens, deportation, Toronto, Canada, Government, Solberg, Cabinet