Parents: Canada’s cornerstone starts to stress

Parents: Canada’s cornerstone starts to stress

Canadian Immigration Views
By Berto Volpentesta

It is no coincidence that as we consider the significance of Remembrance Day we bring to mind a variety of images of those who have gone before us to ensure that we could all live a life that all humans deserve. Similarly no coincidence, our minds may go to images and memories of our parents. While in some cases our parents are literally veterans and some may have even given their lives during war, but in a more general sense, these are the people that in all ways are veterans giving their lives for the betterment of their children and their children’s children.

This significance of parents is not lost on Canada. For generations of governments the people of Canada, through their Members of Parliament, have made it know that family is the cornerstone of Canada. And, there can be no doubt that parents are the cornerstone of the family. Citizenship and Immigration (CIC), and every incarnation of the Immigration Department has always said that “family is the cornerstone of Canada” by one phrase or another. Even the current Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Hon. Judy Sgro, repeats the words again. In fact, the Immigration and Refugee Act incorporates the commitment to the family by signifying “family reunification” as one of the objectives of the act.

But the crack on this important cornerstone of Canada is appearing rapidly and it appears that CIC or the politicians wish to sit idle while a wedge will surely divide this founding stone. Let me explain.
Recently the minister reported to parliament the plan for the coming year as well as a report on the previous year. In her report the minister states that the number of people that were admitted into Canada as parents or grandparents in 2003 was 19,376. In 2004 the report of admissions as parents and grandparents is 10,233 (to August 2004) and this represented nearly all of the planned admissions for the year. And, in 2005 the minister plans to only between 5,500 and 6,800.

The trend is clear, half, half, half each year. The indication is clear that parents and grandparents are not wanted in Canada. Perhaps this is because permanent residence and citizens of Canada do not want their parents or grandparents to come or maybe the parents or grandparents themselves do not want to come. A simple call to CIC to ask about the number of sponsorships pending in this group and these questions were erased.

A real and grave situation is pending. The Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC M) reports that they are backlogged at least one year before they can approve a sponsorship in this class. Not backlogged because they cannot do the work, but because they do not have the go ahead (room in the target). What number pending? Let’s say a good source indicates that there are somewhere around 100 000 applications to sponsor parents or grandparents pending at the CPC M. Did you say 100 000? Yes.

What does this mean? Simple math indicates that if Canada only wants between 5,500 and 6,800 in the coming year and if trends continue, it would be somewhere between 15 – 18 years before they get through.

What? Can this be right? It seems that it is nothing more than a question of priorities. CIC clearly indicates that the priorities of this government are not on parents or grandparents. They say that any increase in a target number to the parents means a decrease somewhere else. They are not even considering raising the numbers to allow for more parents.

Most likely statistically this is justifiable social policy. But wait a minute. Canada in all its compassion can allow more than 40,000 people on various compassionate grounds without regard to statistics or concern as to whether these people will burden our social policies (or is there some conspiracy here too), but only allow 5,000 parents.

Do they even consider the intangibles that parents and grandparents provide? Do they consider the real services provided by this group such as child care and home care that frees working age Canadians to go to work and be more productive? Do they consider the value of the considerable cultural diversification that the group brings? Do they not consider the images and memories of parents as veterans of our lives? Is it really just a numbers game?

This is truly an issue that you must bring to the attention of your Member of Parliament. Left unchecked there is no doubt that in a short few years parents and grandparents my not be considered part of the Family Class at all. I urge everyone, contact your Member of Parliament and let them know that this is unacceptable. Show them this article. Ask them stop the damage and to repair the cornerstone of Canada, in fact to strengthen it. As the family goes, so goes Canada.

Have a question? Send them to Berto Volpentesta or to the editor.

Berto Volpentesta of Canada Immigration Specialists (Sidhu & Volpentesta Inc.) has been a practicing consultant in Toronto since 1991 and is a Member, Director and 2nd Vice President of the Association of Immigration Counsel of Canada and a Member of the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants. You can reach him at: (416) 398 8882 or (416) 787 0612 or by email at berto@svcanada.com and on the web at www.svcanada.com