Canada is indubitably one of the most prosperous nations in the western hemisphere and has long been a coveted destination for individuals seeking better prospects or simply fleeing persecution in their own nation.
From a cultural aspect, this has made Canada quite the melting pot where various perspectives from around the world get to come together and attempt to build something unique and brilliant in the process.
Having said that, there is another aspect to the Canadian immigration boom which is now being questioned by many, both with in and outside of Canada.
The nation has come under increased scrutiny, especially from international partners who have come to find that many individuals who are fleeing legal consequences to their actions, end up making their way to Canada.
If these individuals are fortunate enough to be granted residencies or citizenships, they gain the protection and the rights that are afforded to every Canadian citizen, which complicates matters for the nation they originally hail from.
Despite the diplomatic pressure levied upon Canada in such cases, the nation continues to protect these bad actors in accordance with its laws which has led to the souring of many international relationships that the nation hopes to maintain.
Those involved in the immigration industry within Canada have their reservations regarding the current system as well.
Matt Rieckenberg, an immigration consultant working in London, Ontario, stated the following, “The low barriers to entry into Canada have been compromising national security, both security experts and immigration officials have been vocal about these concerns for years, but have only recently been taken more seriously by the media. The current selection process seems ineffective in its purpose and fails to prioritize or even acknowledge more deserving immigrants through the established status quo.”
From the perspective of internal security, it must be noted that the entry of such individuals into Canada poses a significant threat to the nation itself.
It has been pointed out by many astute observers that the consequences that Canada has to face in such cases, could be avoided if due diligence standards are brought up to speed with the high levels set by other nations around the world.
What surprises most, is the fact that nations with limited resources, smaller populations and diplomatic clout, have managed to establish far better mechanisms to ensure that residencies and citizenships are granted only to highly deserving individuals that meet the standards and expectations set by the country in question.
The political climate of Canada in the recent past has been such that many individuals have been able to make use of the lenient immigration and due diligence policies set by Canada to benefit them and protect them from being prosecuted under the tenants of the laws in their country of origin.
Canada has also been grappling with illegal immigration and is known to have a sizable base of individuals who have made their way to the nation through questionable means. Not only has this resulted in questions being asked by other nations as to what Canada is willing to do to counter this issue, it has also placed the nation at risk, both in terms of internal security and when is comes to the economic fall out of supporting such individuals.
Understandably, Canada’s international partners are displeased with the fact that individuals who are being pursued by the law in their own country, manage to insulate themselves by making their way to Canada.
The fact that most nations have no means of recourse in such a situation, is also a problem and has a detrimental effect on the foreign relations that Canada hopes to maintain.
It is a well-known fact that criminal elements and bad actors have made use of Canada’s option to gain citizenship in the nation by making a substantial financial investment. While on the surface, this is of great benefit to the economy of Canada, the knock-on effects of allowing questionable characters to make their way to Canada and be protected by the nation through their use of ill-gotten gains, is a problem that the nation must deal with in a prompt manner.
Failing to do so will place Canada on shaky grounds and raise even more questions about the true intent behind the nation’s leniency, affecting Canada’s standing with in the international fraternity.
Canada has also established multiple avenues through which individuals can gain access to the nation officially, yet the criteria set for those options do not seem to match the high standards set by some of the other nations in the world which offer similar options to candidates for residency and citizenship.
The nation’s Start-up Visa Program, amongst other, is an example of this as it allows individuals access to the nation on the basis of the economic benefits that they can bring. The issue seemingly, is that other important factors that should contribute to the decision of whether or not to grant these individuals access to Canada are often ignored or sidelined, failing to get their day in the sun.
The Family-Sponsorship Program is another such option which has allowed individuals residing in Canada to bring those related to them, to the nation through officials and legal channels. While that might sound like a reasonable proposition on the surface, the fact that Canada has not been able to keep its due diligence standards up to date means that this option is often used by questionable individuals to benefit them at the detriment of Canada itself.
The nation has also been under the gun for failing to do enough to counter the influx of individuals who have been tagged as criminals and find themselves on the most wanted lists of other nations. Their ability to gain Canadian citizenships has limited the scope of nations who have registered cases against them to pursue their prosecution under the letter of the laws they abide by.
This often puts Canada at odds with nations that it hopes to maintain excellent diplomatic relations with and has led to undue stress on Canada’s foreign policy time and again.
Some observers who are well placed in the Canadian diplomatic or political apparatus have hinted at the idea that the lack of will shown by Canada in this regard is also down to the nation’s dynamics in terms of maintaining certain vote banks.
The idea is said to be that if certain changes are made to the nation’s immigration and due diligence policies, it would result in the disenfranchisement of major vote banks which would have a drastic effect on the political aspirations of certain highly placed entities in Canadian politics.
