Chances are you immigrated to Canada. If not you, then your parents or grandparents did. Immigrants built this nation; partly because Canada has always welcomed those who want a better future, and partly because it has always required newcomers to maintain our population levels and stimulate our economy. Surprisingly, some believe the federal government should make it harder for newcomers to settle in Canada.

Critics argue that immigrants and refugees take jobs away from Canadians. They’re wrong. According to a 1994 study published in International Migration Review, the economy typically grows during periods of high immigration. That’s because many immigrants start companies and invest money into our economy. Others feel immigrants and refugees are responsible for higher levels of crime, however, less than 12% of our prison population is foreign born.

Others argue that immigrants and refugees dilute our sense of national pride without realizing that the majority of immigrants speak one of our national languages before arriving or learn one soon after, and more than 80 percent become Canadian citizens. Some feel that the government is not doing enough to open our arms to the world’s downtrodden - less than 50% of refugee claims are accepted. The United States, United Kingdom and Germany all receive more refugee claimants than Canada.

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