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Chinese Head Tax
1885-1923, Canada discouraged immigration from China by requiring every Chinese immigrant to pay a fixed fee, known as a head tax. This law along with several others restricted immigration from Asia. Today people from Asia have made up the largest group of immigrants to Canada. In 2006, Canada’s government formally apologized to Canada’s Chinese citizens for the head tax. -
Komagata Maru Incident
Involved the Japanese steamship Komagata Maru on which a group of citizens of Britain attempted to immigrate to Canada in 1914 but were denied entry. They sailed from Hong Kong carrying 376 passengers from British India to Canada. 24 out of them were admitted to Canada, but the other 352 passengers were not allowed (since Canada only allowed people in that sailed straight from India without stopping anywhere, and there was no such thing) and the ship was forced to return to India. -
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Internment of Ukrainian Canadians
The Ukrainian Canadian internment was a part of the confinement of "enemy aliens" in Canada during (and for two years after the end) of the First World War. It lasted from 1914 to 1920, under the War Measures Act. -
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Internment of Italian Canadians
In 1939, there were camps which were used for the internment of enemy aliens. Italian Canadians were held during the war under the War Measures Act. The majority of Italian Canadians from central and eastern Canada were sent to Petawawa in June 1940. -
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Internment of Japanese Canadians
After the attack on the Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and up until 1949 (four years after World War II had ended), Canadians of Japanese heritage were removed from their homes and businesses and sent to internment camps -
Immigration Act
The Immigration Act states that no one can enter who is a member of any of the following classes:
- anyone who has engaged in acts of espionage or subversion against democratic government, institutions or processes, as they are understood in Canada.
- anyone who is reasonable grounds to believe will, while in Canada, engage in or instigate the subversion by force of any government. -
Refugees Being Added As An Immigration Category
Canada has helped refugees and offered them shelter during the 1950s and 1960s in response to specific world crises. However, in 1976 Canada officially made refugee as a category and was accepting them steadily instead of crisis by crisis. -
Singh Decision
A 1985 Supreme Court decision known as the Singh Decision. Satnam Singh came to Canada from India seeking refugee status. Canada’s government rejected his case under the Immigration Act. The Immigration Act didn't allow Mr. Singh to state his case in person or to appeal the government’s decision on his case which violated section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person, and the right not to be deprived). -
Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act was passed 2002.
It is the most recent of many laws Canada has had about
immigration since it became a country in 1867. It establishes categories of who can come to Canada from other
countries for permanent residence. It also lays out the objectives of diiferent immigration categories. -
Creation of Immigration Categories
Immigration to Canada started in 1867, however, they started categorizing immigrants in 2006. They made 4 categories which were, and still are, refugees, family class, economic immigrants, and other. Refugees were people who were escaping their country (13%), family class were ones who had family class (28%), economic immigrants which were skilled workers (55%) and other which were people accepted for humanitarian and compassionate reasons (4%)
