IMMIGRATION POLICIES & PROGRAMS
Recruiting, Restricting and Rejecting
Part Three
Strategies and policies to attract and exclude immigrants to Canada during
the boom post-war years, 1945 – 1970
Research by Elle Andra-Warner
the boom post-war years, 1945 – 1970
Research by Elle Andra-Warner
- 1942-1948 - War Brides and Dependants
- 1945-1952 - The Displaced Persons Movement
- 1946-1947 - Polish War Veterans: From Fighting Wars to Farming Fields
- 1946-1952 - Finding a Canadian Home for Displaced Persons
- 1947 - Old is New Again in Canada's Immigrant Policy
- 1948 - Canada's First Boat Refugees
- 1951-1970 - The Easing of Immigration Restrictions
- 1956-1957 - World Conflict & Air Bridge to Canada
- 1967-1978 - 100 Years After Confederation: Changing How Canada Admits Immigrants
- 1969 - Canada Gets On Board With Geneva Convention
1942-1948 - War Brides and Dependants
During the Second World War, there were nearly 48,000 marriages between Canadian servicemen and women they had met in Britain and Europe. Between 1942 and 1948, the Canadian government organized and paid for the immigration to Canada of 43,454 of the "War Brides" (approximately 93 percent were British) and 20,997 of their children.
Over 60 ships brought the War Brides and their children to Canada during those six years, transporting them across the Atlantic Ocean to Pier 21 where they were processed as immigrants before boarding the "war bride trains" to settle in their new Canadian homes.
During the same six-year period, there were a total of 187,449 immigrants that came to Canada, of which a total of 64,446 (34.3%) were the War Brides and children.
During the Second World War, there were nearly 48,000 marriages between Canadian servicemen and women they had met in Britain and Europe. Between 1942 and 1948, the Canadian government organized and paid for the immigration to Canada of 43,454 of the "War Brides" (approximately 93 percent were British) and 20,997 of their children.
Over 60 ships brought the War Brides and their children to Canada during those six years, transporting them across the Atlantic Ocean to Pier 21 where they were processed as immigrants before boarding the "war bride trains" to settle in their new Canadian homes.
During the same six-year period, there were a total of 187,449 immigrants that came to Canada, of which a total of 64,446 (34.3%) were the War Brides and children.
|
Year
1942-43
1943-44 1944-45 1945-46 1946-47 1947-48 |
Total # of Immigrants
7756
8504 12801 22722 71719 64127 |
War Brides & Dependants
188
1255 6442 16133 39092 1336 |
% of Total
2.4
14.75 50.3 71 54.5 2 |
Source: Table originally appeared in The War Brides of New Brunswick, Melynda Jarratt (University of New Brunswick). Online at www.canadianwarbrides.com
Red Lake Immigrants: These War Brides arrived in Canada between the time period 1942-1948 and settled in Red Lake shortly thereafter.
Barbara Parrott married an Irish-Canadian corporal named Donald in 1943. A year later, she immigrated to Canada aboard the S.S. Mauritania with her one-year-old daughter, Diane, and 350 other war brides and their children.
Gwyneth Rae Kiebuzinski was both a war bride and war veteran when she immigrated to Canada with her husband John in 1948. Rae had served as a flight mechanic in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force during World War II, and John was a fighter pilot with the Polish Air Force.
Barbara Parrott married an Irish-Canadian corporal named Donald in 1943. A year later, she immigrated to Canada aboard the S.S. Mauritania with her one-year-old daughter, Diane, and 350 other war brides and their children.
Gwyneth Rae Kiebuzinski was both a war bride and war veteran when she immigrated to Canada with her husband John in 1948. Rae had served as a flight mechanic in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force during World War II, and John was a fighter pilot with the Polish Air Force.
1945-1952 - The Displaced Persons Movement
The Second World War Is Over...But They Have No Home
Displaced Persons: Legal classifications of displaced persons as drawn up by Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) included: evacuees, war or political refugees, political prisoners, forced or voluntary workers, Todt workers and former members of forces under German command, deportees, intruded persons, extruded persons, civilian internees, ex-prisoners of war, and stateless persons.
Source: Mark Wyman. DPs: Europe's Displaced Persons, 1945-1951.
Refugee: The definition at the end of the Second World War was an individual with a Nansen passport or a "Certificate of Eligibility" as issued by the International Refugee Organization (IRO). (Note: A Nansen passport was an identity travel document for refugees designed in 1922 by the first Commissioner of Refugees, Fridtjof Nansen.)
*****At the end of the Second World War, there were approximately 10-12 million displaced persons scattered across Europe. Many made their way back home within a year, but over one million were left stateless with nowhere to go. The Soviet Union had occupied their homeland—they were now without a country, without a place to call home.
They were temporarily housed in approximately 900 mostly "nationality-specific" displaced persons camps that had been set up in West Germany, Austria and Italy. The United Nations under its International Refugee Organization (IRO) took over the responsibility for their protection, maintenance and resettlement. See Map "The Displaced Persons' Europe", 1946
The problem now was how could IRO convince the world to accept over one million stateless people as immigrants? The solution was to re-brand them as "labourers" and "migrants" who could fill the growing demand for workers in the post-war economies.
"The IRO resettlement program has been labelled a labour recruitment program on an international scale."
Source: Christiane Harzig. MacNamara's DP Domestics: Immigration Policy Makers Negotiate Class, Race and Gender in the Aftermath of World War II.Canada did not have a mechanism in its immigration policies to accept refugees or displaced persons on humanitarian grounds, yet pressure was mounting on the government to find a way to bring in workers to ease the labour shortage in Canada's booming post-war economy.
The Second World War Is Over...But They Have No Home
Displaced Persons: Legal classifications of displaced persons as drawn up by Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) included: evacuees, war or political refugees, political prisoners, forced or voluntary workers, Todt workers and former members of forces under German command, deportees, intruded persons, extruded persons, civilian internees, ex-prisoners of war, and stateless persons.
Source: Mark Wyman. DPs: Europe's Displaced Persons, 1945-1951.
Refugee: The definition at the end of the Second World War was an individual with a Nansen passport or a "Certificate of Eligibility" as issued by the International Refugee Organization (IRO). (Note: A Nansen passport was an identity travel document for refugees designed in 1922 by the first Commissioner of Refugees, Fridtjof Nansen.)
*****At the end of the Second World War, there were approximately 10-12 million displaced persons scattered across Europe. Many made their way back home within a year, but over one million were left stateless with nowhere to go. The Soviet Union had occupied their homeland—they were now without a country, without a place to call home.
They were temporarily housed in approximately 900 mostly "nationality-specific" displaced persons camps that had been set up in West Germany, Austria and Italy. The United Nations under its International Refugee Organization (IRO) took over the responsibility for their protection, maintenance and resettlement. See Map "The Displaced Persons' Europe", 1946
The problem now was how could IRO convince the world to accept over one million stateless people as immigrants? The solution was to re-brand them as "labourers" and "migrants" who could fill the growing demand for workers in the post-war economies.
"The IRO resettlement program has been labelled a labour recruitment program on an international scale."
Source: Christiane Harzig. MacNamara's DP Domestics: Immigration Policy Makers Negotiate Class, Race and Gender in the Aftermath of World War II.Canada did not have a mechanism in its immigration policies to accept refugees or displaced persons on humanitarian grounds, yet pressure was mounting on the government to find a way to bring in workers to ease the labour shortage in Canada's booming post-war economy.
"In keeping with the Prime Minister Mackenzie King's desire to reassure the public that no fundamental changes would be made to Canada's immigration policies, displaced persons were admitted under orders-in-council with an eye to particular employment conditions."
Source: Displaced Persons and Frontier Jobs, 1946-1952. The Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples.
"After political negotiations with ethnic groups and church leaders and representatives from the business community, and after recommendations from the Standing Committee of the Senate on Immigration and Labour, the Department of Labour and the Immigration Branch offered four different programs through which DPs could be selected for resettlement in Canada. Besides a minor program for orphans, sponsored by Catholic and Jewish organizations and an effort to resettle Estonians living in Sweden, there was the sponsorship program for relatives—the category could be most flexibly applied—and the bulk labour program, which catered to the needs of the labour market."
Source: Christiane Harzig. MacNamara's DP Domestics: Immigration Policy Makers Negotiate Class, Race and Gender in the Aftermath of World War II.
Red Lake Immigrants: These families lived in displaced persons camps before coming to Canada following World War II.
Irena and Kazimierz Kmiecik met in 1946 while staying in a Polish displaced persons camp at Meierwik in the district of Glucksberg, Germany. After they were married, they immigrated to Canada, arriving at Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia on May 20, 1950. They moved to Madsen, Ontario in 1951.
The Mandzijs were living in Lwow, Poland when it was overtaken by Russia and then by Germany during the Second World War. The family was forced to leave their homeland and later sent to a number of displaced persons camps. In January 1954, Weronika and Piotr and three of their children (Aniela, Zozsa (Sofia), and Adolf Boleslaw) left Europe by ship from Bremerhaven, Germany enroute to Canada - where other family members were already living.
Lola Nowakowski was seperated from her family when she was 14 and forced by the German authorities to do heavy manual labour on a German farm. At the end of the Second World War, Lola found herself in a displaced persons camp. She remembered the Polish government tried to encourage its citizens to return under the then Russian occupation, but Lola was determined to go to Canada, and did so in 1948.
Red Lake Immigrants: These families lived in displaced persons camps before coming to Canada following World War II.
Irena and Kazimierz Kmiecik met in 1946 while staying in a Polish displaced persons camp at Meierwik in the district of Glucksberg, Germany. After they were married, they immigrated to Canada, arriving at Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia on May 20, 1950. They moved to Madsen, Ontario in 1951.
The Mandzijs were living in Lwow, Poland when it was overtaken by Russia and then by Germany during the Second World War. The family was forced to leave their homeland and later sent to a number of displaced persons camps. In January 1954, Weronika and Piotr and three of their children (Aniela, Zozsa (Sofia), and Adolf Boleslaw) left Europe by ship from Bremerhaven, Germany enroute to Canada - where other family members were already living.
Lola Nowakowski was seperated from her family when she was 14 and forced by the German authorities to do heavy manual labour on a German farm. At the end of the Second World War, Lola found herself in a displaced persons camp. She remembered the Polish government tried to encourage its citizens to return under the then Russian occupation, but Lola was determined to go to Canada, and did so in 1948.
1946-1947 - Polish War Veterans: From Fighting Wars to Farming Fields
The first large group of displaced persons to arrive in Canada were 4,247 ex-soldiers of the 2nd Polish Corps who had fought in the Mediterranean as part of the British 8th Army. The veterans were staunch anti-communists who had refused to be repatriated (returned) to their homeland of Poland, now controlled by the Soviet Union. They arrived in two contingents, with 2,876 Polish veterans arriving by ship in Halifax on November 12, 1946, and another 1,651 in spring 1947.
The first large group of displaced persons to arrive in Canada were 4,247 ex-soldiers of the 2nd Polish Corps who had fought in the Mediterranean as part of the British 8th Army. The veterans were staunch anti-communists who had refused to be repatriated (returned) to their homeland of Poland, now controlled by the Soviet Union. They arrived in two contingents, with 2,876 Polish veterans arriving by ship in Halifax on November 12, 1946, and another 1,651 in spring 1947.
"The arrival and settlement of Polish veterans is significant for several reasons. With the exception of the war brides from United Kingdom, this was the first large group of immigrants to arrive in Canada after Second World War. They were admitted under order-in-council at a time when the Canadian government had no immigrant policy respecting the acceptance of refugees and displaced persons."
Source: Krzysztof M. Gebhard, Polish Veterans as Farm Labourers in Canada 1946-49.
To be accepted into Canada, the Polish veterans had to sign a two-year labour contract to work as farm labourers and would not be granted "landed" status until they had completed their term. The Canadian government's plan was to bring the Polish war veterans to Canada as cheap labour to replace the German prisoners-of-war that had been forced to work on Canadian farms during their internment. Now with the war over, these POW's were repatriated and were no longer available to farmers.
Red Lake Immigrants: Polish veterans who immigrated to Canada in the late 1940s.
John Kiebuzinski and his wife, Rae, were both Polish war veterans of the Second World War. John was recalled to the Polish Air Force during which time he learned to be a fighter pilot. He belonged to the famous 303 Polish Fighter Squadron and flew a spitfire during the Battle of Britain. Rae served as a flight mechanic in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. John and Rae were married in December 1945 and immigrated to Canada nearly three years later in August 1948.
Andy Nowakowski was a veteran of the 2nd Polish Corps Army, and fought under the English in Italy against the Germans in the Second World War. When he came to Canada in 1947, he found work with the Weston Steel company in Winnipeg.
To be accepted into Canada, the Polish veterans had to sign a two-year labour contract to work as farm labourers and would not be granted "landed" status until they had completed their term. The Canadian government's plan was to bring the Polish war veterans to Canada as cheap labour to replace the German prisoners-of-war that had been forced to work on Canadian farms during their internment. Now with the war over, these POW's were repatriated and were no longer available to farmers.
Red Lake Immigrants: Polish veterans who immigrated to Canada in the late 1940s.
John Kiebuzinski and his wife, Rae, were both Polish war veterans of the Second World War. John was recalled to the Polish Air Force during which time he learned to be a fighter pilot. He belonged to the famous 303 Polish Fighter Squadron and flew a spitfire during the Battle of Britain. Rae served as a flight mechanic in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. John and Rae were married in December 1945 and immigrated to Canada nearly three years later in August 1948.
Andy Nowakowski was a veteran of the 2nd Polish Corps Army, and fought under the English in Italy against the Germans in the Second World War. When he came to Canada in 1947, he found work with the Weston Steel company in Winnipeg.
1946 - 1952 Finding a Canadian Home for Displaced Persons
After the Second World War, Canada was still processing immigrants under the restrictive Order-in-Council 695 issued in 1931—there was no mechanism or category to admit refugees or displaced persons on humanitarian grounds. If an individual didn't fit the four categories of immigration, they were not admitted into Canada. However, the government could issue orders-in-council that could admit certain groups via sponsorship or specific programs.
After the Second World War, Canada was still processing immigrants under the restrictive Order-in-Council 695 issued in 1931—there was no mechanism or category to admit refugees or displaced persons on humanitarian grounds. If an individual didn't fit the four categories of immigration, they were not admitted into Canada. However, the government could issue orders-in-council that could admit certain groups via sponsorship or specific programs.
One such order-in-council was issued in May 1946 to allow sponsorship by Canadian citizens of their close relatives stranded in Europe: brothers, sisters, parents and orphaned nephews and nieces. A year later in 1947, another order-in-council expanded the door for sponsorship for any legal Canadian resident (not just citizens) to sponsor as immigrants their fiancées, spouses and unmarried children.
In November 7, 1946, Prime Minister Mackenzie King announced that Canada would adopt emergency measures to assist in the resettlement of refugees and displaced persons. One of those measures was the Bulk Labour Program which was launched in March 1947. It was similar to the Polish War Veterans scheme in that it required the individuals to sign a two-year labour contract.
Under the Bulk Labour Program, Canadian employers identified their labour needs by specifying the types and numbers of workers they required. They included workers for lumbering operations, mining, sugar beet farms, railroad, and others like the garment industry. The bulk labour program facilitated the movement of displaced persons out of the European camps to fill jobs in labour-intensive industries in Canada.
Representing one of the major sectors of Canadian economy was the Canadian Metal Mining Association (CMMA). By agreement with the federal government, CMMA received requests from its members for immigrant labour, sent selection teams to Europe camps, and when the displaced person arrived in Canada, directed them to the mine to which they were assigned.
According to Christiane Harzig, by the end of 1951, 157,687 displaced persons had arrived in Canada of which 56,609 came under the bulk labour program, 14,000 as domestic workers and the rest under individual sponsorships.
In November 7, 1946, Prime Minister Mackenzie King announced that Canada would adopt emergency measures to assist in the resettlement of refugees and displaced persons. One of those measures was the Bulk Labour Program which was launched in March 1947. It was similar to the Polish War Veterans scheme in that it required the individuals to sign a two-year labour contract.
Under the Bulk Labour Program, Canadian employers identified their labour needs by specifying the types and numbers of workers they required. They included workers for lumbering operations, mining, sugar beet farms, railroad, and others like the garment industry. The bulk labour program facilitated the movement of displaced persons out of the European camps to fill jobs in labour-intensive industries in Canada.
Representing one of the major sectors of Canadian economy was the Canadian Metal Mining Association (CMMA). By agreement with the federal government, CMMA received requests from its members for immigrant labour, sent selection teams to Europe camps, and when the displaced person arrived in Canada, directed them to the mine to which they were assigned.
According to Christiane Harzig, by the end of 1951, 157,687 displaced persons had arrived in Canada of which 56,609 came under the bulk labour program, 14,000 as domestic workers and the rest under individual sponsorships.
1947 - Old is New Again in Canada's Immigrant Policy
Back in Canada's post-Confederation days of the 19th century, the goal had been to bring immigrants to Canada to populate the "Last Best West" vast prairies and boost its economy. Almost 50 years later, using immigration as an instrument to boost the economy and population was being revisited, as indicated in a statement by Prime Minister Mackenzie King:
Back in Canada's post-Confederation days of the 19th century, the goal had been to bring immigrants to Canada to populate the "Last Best West" vast prairies and boost its economy. Almost 50 years later, using immigration as an instrument to boost the economy and population was being revisited, as indicated in a statement by Prime Minister Mackenzie King:
"The policy of the government is to foster the growth of the population of Canada by the encouragement of immigration. The government will seek by legislation, regulation, and vigorous administration, to ensure the careful selection and permanent settlement of such numbers of immigration as can advantageously be absorbed in our economy."
He made it clear that Canada was "perfectly within her rights in selecting the persons whom we regard as desirable future citizens", but did suggest that Canada remove "objectionable discrimination" from its immigration policy.
Did it sound like he was moving forward on opening up immigration? Well, yes...and no. Canada would remain a 'white' Anglo-Saxon country, as indicated by the Prime Minister in the same speech:
Did it sound like he was moving forward on opening up immigration? Well, yes...and no. Canada would remain a 'white' Anglo-Saxon country, as indicated by the Prime Minister in the same speech:
"...the people of Canada do not wish, as a result of mass immigration, to make a fundamental alteration in the character of our population. Large-scale immigration from the orient would change the fundamental composition of the Canadian population."
The same year, the Chinese Immigration Act was repealed. Chinese immigration would now be regulated by the restrictive 1930 rules for Asiatics, which allowed only for the sponsorship of wives and children by Canadian citizens. For all other Chinese, the immigration remained closed.
1948 - Canada's First Boat Refugees
In August 1948, the plight of displaced persons and refugees made newspaper headlines when Canada's first boat refugees arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia after a dangerous voyage across the Atlantic Ocean from Sweden. The Estonians had fled prior to the communist Soviet Union invading their country in 1944 and had been living in Sweden under threat of forced repatriation to their now Soviet-controlled homeland.
Read Essay, "But When Do You Know You Are Canadian?", by Elle Andra-Warner.
This essay is about the journey of Estonian child refugees of World War II to find the Canadian identity. Elle is the daughter of Estonian immigrants who came to Canada in the 1950s. She was born in a displaced persons camp in Eckernforde, West Germany.
Between 1946-1949, forty-six overcrowded "Viking Boats" of various sizes and conditions left Sweden with experienced crews of captains, seamen and mechanics. Along with the Estonians on board, there were some Latvians, Lithuanians and Ukrainians as well.
In August 1948, the plight of displaced persons and refugees made newspaper headlines when Canada's first boat refugees arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia after a dangerous voyage across the Atlantic Ocean from Sweden. The Estonians had fled prior to the communist Soviet Union invading their country in 1944 and had been living in Sweden under threat of forced repatriation to their now Soviet-controlled homeland.
Read Essay, "But When Do You Know You Are Canadian?", by Elle Andra-Warner.
This essay is about the journey of Estonian child refugees of World War II to find the Canadian identity. Elle is the daughter of Estonian immigrants who came to Canada in the 1950s. She was born in a displaced persons camp in Eckernforde, West Germany.
Between 1946-1949, forty-six overcrowded "Viking Boats" of various sizes and conditions left Sweden with experienced crews of captains, seamen and mechanics. Along with the Estonians on board, there were some Latvians, Lithuanians and Ukrainians as well.
"Typical was an old boat, Walnut, with a normal capacity of less than 200 people, which left Sweden in September 1948 with 355 passengers aboard and arrived safely in Halifax on December 13. Seventeen boats landed in the United States, ten in Canada, six in South Africa, five in Argentina, three in England, one in Brazil. Two perished in the Atlantic and two were lost without trace. The arrival of the first of these boats in Canada took the Canadian authorities by surprise...After investigating their background, the government admitted them, waiving the current immigration restrictions by special Orders-in-Councils in each case."
Source: Karl Aun. The Political Refugees: A History of the Estonians in Canada.p.25-26.
During 1949-1950, a total of 1,593 "boat people" from Sweden arrived in Canada.
During 1949-1950, a total of 1,593 "boat people" from Sweden arrived in Canada.
1951-1970 - The Easing of Immigration Restrictions
1950
In 1950, for the first time in almost 20 years (since the issuing of Order-in-Council 695 in 1931), under Order-in-Council 2856, a major change in immigration eligibility expanded the categories for eligible European immigrants to include healthy applicants of good character with skills who could integrate into Canadian society.
In addition, it was in 1950 that Germans were removed from the "enemy alien" category (Italians had been removed in 1947).
In 1950, immigration became the responsibility of the newly-created Department of Citizenship and Immigration.
1951
According to the 1951 census, the population was 14,009,429, of which 14.7% were immigrants (people not born in Canada).
In February 1951, to encourage immigration from Europe, the Assisted Passage Loan Scheme (APLS) was launched to grant interest-free loans (repayable within two years) to immigrants whose services were urgently required. Under APLS, over 32,000 immigrants arrived between 1951-1955. Fifteen years later, in 1966, APLS was extended to immigrants from the Caribbean. A year later, in 1967, interest began to be charged on the loans and three years later, in 1970, the program was open to individuals from around the world with an interest rate of 6% annually.
1952
In 1952, Canada passed a new Immigration Act. While there were no substantial changes in immigration policy, the Act added substantial powers to the Minister and officials over selection, admission and deportation of immigrants. The Act did however list four "preferred classes" of immigrants – British subjects, French citizens, American residents, and Asians reuniting with close family relatives in Canada.
1950
In 1950, for the first time in almost 20 years (since the issuing of Order-in-Council 695 in 1931), under Order-in-Council 2856, a major change in immigration eligibility expanded the categories for eligible European immigrants to include healthy applicants of good character with skills who could integrate into Canadian society.
In addition, it was in 1950 that Germans were removed from the "enemy alien" category (Italians had been removed in 1947).
In 1950, immigration became the responsibility of the newly-created Department of Citizenship and Immigration.
1951
According to the 1951 census, the population was 14,009,429, of which 14.7% were immigrants (people not born in Canada).
In February 1951, to encourage immigration from Europe, the Assisted Passage Loan Scheme (APLS) was launched to grant interest-free loans (repayable within two years) to immigrants whose services were urgently required. Under APLS, over 32,000 immigrants arrived between 1951-1955. Fifteen years later, in 1966, APLS was extended to immigrants from the Caribbean. A year later, in 1967, interest began to be charged on the loans and three years later, in 1970, the program was open to individuals from around the world with an interest rate of 6% annually.
1952
In 1952, Canada passed a new Immigration Act. While there were no substantial changes in immigration policy, the Act added substantial powers to the Minister and officials over selection, admission and deportation of immigrants. The Act did however list four "preferred classes" of immigrants – British subjects, French citizens, American residents, and Asians reuniting with close family relatives in Canada.
1956 -1957 World Conflict & Air Bridge to Canada
Two major conflicts in the world pushed Canada's immigration numbers to 165,000 in 1956 and 282,000 in 1957.
The first was the Suez Canal crisis, sometimes referred to as the "Sinai War" with Britain, France and Israel fighting against Egypt, after Egypt's president nationalized the Suez Canal. Because of the crisis, almost 109,000 British citizens wanted to immigrate to Canada.
The second, was the Hungarian Revolution which began in November 1956 when the Soviet Union invaded Hungary which had declared itself a free country. Over 200,000 Hungarians fled to Austria and for six months (December 1957 to June 1957) Canada implemented a program of free passage to the Hungarian fleeing refugees, eventually admitting almost 40,000 Hungarians.
Ocean passenger liners and commercial planes provided the transportation to the refugees and British immigrants. But in 1957, Canada tried something different to move the large numbers of people coming to Canada: it organized the largest airlift in Canadian aviation history—the Air Bridge to Canada (ABC) with over 350 immigrant charter flights. In the first months of 1957 alone, 17,600 immigrants arrived in Canada abroad more than 200 chartered flights.
Read more about the Hungarian Revolution in our Timeline section
1959 - During the World Refugee year of 1959-1960, for the first time in history, Canada waived its health requirements for refugees and admitted 325 immigrants with Tuberculosis (TB).
1962 - Order-in-council PC 86, issued on January 18, 1962, put in place new immigration regulations to eliminate racial discrimination. Admission to Canada would now be granted to:
Two major conflicts in the world pushed Canada's immigration numbers to 165,000 in 1956 and 282,000 in 1957.
The first was the Suez Canal crisis, sometimes referred to as the "Sinai War" with Britain, France and Israel fighting against Egypt, after Egypt's president nationalized the Suez Canal. Because of the crisis, almost 109,000 British citizens wanted to immigrate to Canada.
The second, was the Hungarian Revolution which began in November 1956 when the Soviet Union invaded Hungary which had declared itself a free country. Over 200,000 Hungarians fled to Austria and for six months (December 1957 to June 1957) Canada implemented a program of free passage to the Hungarian fleeing refugees, eventually admitting almost 40,000 Hungarians.
Ocean passenger liners and commercial planes provided the transportation to the refugees and British immigrants. But in 1957, Canada tried something different to move the large numbers of people coming to Canada: it organized the largest airlift in Canadian aviation history—the Air Bridge to Canada (ABC) with over 350 immigrant charter flights. In the first months of 1957 alone, 17,600 immigrants arrived in Canada abroad more than 200 chartered flights.
Read more about the Hungarian Revolution in our Timeline section
1959 - During the World Refugee year of 1959-1960, for the first time in history, Canada waived its health requirements for refugees and admitted 325 immigrants with Tuberculosis (TB).
1962 - Order-in-council PC 86, issued on January 18, 1962, put in place new immigration regulations to eliminate racial discrimination. Admission to Canada would now be granted to:
"A person who by reason of education, training skills and other special qualifications is likely reestablish himself successfully in Canada and who has the means to support himself until established"
The OIC also revoked the special status previously given to the British and American citizens and lifted the limits of immigrants from Asiatic countries.
1967 -1978 100 Years After Confederation: Changing How Canada Admits Immigrants
The greatest change in immigration policy in 20 years came in October 1967 when the Canadian government incorporated the Points System into the Immigration Regulations, shifting selection of immigrants from country of origin or ethnicity to an immigrants skills and abilities.
Under the 1967 points system, applicants would be assessed on a "point system" based on attributes like education and training, language, abilities, skills, occupation, age, whether family/relatives were already in Canada; and employment already secured.
How did it work? On a scale of 1 -10 or 1 -15, the potential immigrant was assigned points for listed qualities. To be allowed into Canada as an immigrant, the individual had to reach a certain number of points. Immigration was open to anyone if they passed the Point System test.
The greatest change in immigration policy in 20 years came in October 1967 when the Canadian government incorporated the Points System into the Immigration Regulations, shifting selection of immigrants from country of origin or ethnicity to an immigrants skills and abilities.
Under the 1967 points system, applicants would be assessed on a "point system" based on attributes like education and training, language, abilities, skills, occupation, age, whether family/relatives were already in Canada; and employment already secured.
How did it work? On a scale of 1 -10 or 1 -15, the potential immigrant was assigned points for listed qualities. To be allowed into Canada as an immigrant, the individual had to reach a certain number of points. Immigration was open to anyone if they passed the Point System test.
1969 - Canada Gets On Board With Geneva Convention
Although Canada had attended the United Nations conference in Geneva to draft and sign a Convention relating to the Status of Refugees in Geneva, it was not until 18 years later in 1969 that Canada became a signatory to the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol.
The 1951 Convention was originally limited to persons fleeing events occurring in Europe before January 1, 1951; the 1967 Protocol removed those limitations, giving the Convention universal coverage. In addition to providing for the protection of refugees and establishment of minimum standards for their treatment, Article 1 of the Convention defines a refugee as:
Although Canada had attended the United Nations conference in Geneva to draft and sign a Convention relating to the Status of Refugees in Geneva, it was not until 18 years later in 1969 that Canada became a signatory to the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol.
The 1951 Convention was originally limited to persons fleeing events occurring in Europe before January 1, 1951; the 1967 Protocol removed those limitations, giving the Convention universal coverage. In addition to providing for the protection of refugees and establishment of minimum standards for their treatment, Article 1 of the Convention defines a refugee as:
"...a person who is outside his/her country of nationality or habitual residence; has a well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion; and is unable or unwilling to avail himself/herself of the protection of that country, or to return there, for fear of persecution."
The convention also outlines the legal status of refugees, including their rights and obligations, and stipulates that a refugee should not be returned to a country where he or she fears persecution. As of October 2008, 147 countries have become parties to one or both of the 1951 Convention and its 1967 Protocol. The Convention is the world's first international agreement covering aspects of a refugee's life.
