Let Haitians resettle to Canada!
January 23, 2010 · By Charles Anthony
Score a couple of more points for the Libs and for the Dippers:
We urge the government to expand those efforts by widening which family members can apply and speeding up the unification of adopted orphans with their new families in Canada.
I think they are on the right track.
As far as I am concerned, we should let anybody come in to Canada. Jason Kenney is wrong:
“Massive resettlement is not a solution to natural disaster. The solution is reconstruction, and we’re focused and dedicated to that,” Mr. Kenney said.
Kenney said other stuff too. He said that the government of Haiti would not appreciate it if all Haitians were permitted entry into Canada. Who cares what the Haitian government appreciates?? I certainly do not. As far as I am concerned, massive resettlement is a solution to this natural disaster.
Lorrie Goldstein posted his preferences and bias this morning:
There needs to be a limit on Canadian compassion towards Haiti.
—SNIP—
We cannot solve every global catastrophe by throwing open our doors to the victims.
I do not see why not. The vast majority of Canadian land is empty. If all of the global warming nonsense turns out to be true, well, more of the barren Canadian land will become habitable at affordable rates and Canadians will solve every global catastrophe by throwing open the doors. We will not be able to afford not to do so.
Also, the choice to fund reconstruction assumes that the purpose behind all of this foreign aid is to actually help the lowly desparate foreigners and not the governments nor the government cronies. That is a huge assumption and I am not sure what the motives of people like Jason Kenney truly are. He may have other goals to serve with his policy-making tasks. Who knows?
The problem with throwing money at reconstruction is that the question of whether reconstruction is even possible — that is, to suit the inhabitants — is never honestly addressed. Further, any discussion of the cost compared to resettlement is stifled too. Some people in Haiti may actually want to leave. Thus, the money sent to reconstruct the earthquake-prone land may be better spent. It is not like Canada is such a horrible place to live.
As far as I am concerned, if a reconstruction of Haiti is physically possible, then Haitians should do it themselves. They can move to Canada, save up some coin and go back to their homeland to reconstrct whatever they want. That is how honest compassionate reconstruction should be done.
And in that vast land they will settle in the narrow border with the U.S. and mainly in Montreal.
Sorry Haitians that are here in Montreal can’t find decent employment already and there is very high unemployment among young male Haitians.
“Let Haitians resettle to Canada!” — Fine, then they can ALL settle next to you.
“They can move to Canada, save up some coin and go back to their homeland to reconstrct whatever they want. That is how honest compassionate reconstruction should be done. ”
What a moronic comment. They will do what every other group has done. They know that Haiti will never be anything more than a crime-ridden, corrupt dump so they will stay here, use Canada’s social safey infastructure to the maximum and demand that this country change to suit them. Like I said, if you want all of them to come here, let them live next to you.
“The problem with throwing money at reconstruction is that the question of whether reconstruction is even possible — that is, to suit the inhabitants”
Who cares WHAT “suits the inhabitants”? They have had a lifetime to inprove their lot. Instead they fight amoungst themselves and piss away the billions in aid that have poured into that crap hole.
Yet somehow you believe that miraculously their behavior will instantly change the second they set foot on Canadian soil. Be compassionate with your own property.
If you have such a hard on for the Haitians then please post here will details when you have rented out your basement (free of charge) to a Haitian family who speaks no English. Then I might have some respect for your ideals. Until then you’re just another loudmouth who wants OTHER people to make sacrifices so YOU can feel good about yourself.
Well, I am happy that Jason Kenny is in charge of this file, not you.
@john (at 12:16pm)
They’re welcome to settle next to me.
As usual, our learned pal, Richard Albert, has some thoughtful insight here.
And y’all should be following @richardalbert.
No.
I agree with speeding up the processing of orphans, but otherwise I agree wholeheartedly with Kenney and Goldstein.
Hey Charles. It would be a great idea if we had some say in where they settled. Sadly, if they all simply land in MTL, TOR and VAN then they don’t use any of that “vast land” you say we have – they merely overcrowd our cities and cause more social strain.
The reason Canada and the USA allowed mass immigration at the beginning of the 20th Century was because we were giving away farmland to attract settlers. In other words, we were encouraging people to come here to make their own jobs. Throwing open the door to Haiti’s poorly educated and socialized masses (sad but true) will cause Canada noting but trouble without regulation and control.
Charles, I have to say I disagree with your Immigration Policy. In today’s day and age, simply throwing open the barn doors to whomever from wherever decides to walk through is a bad bad bad idea. Frankly, it’s dangerous to Canadians, and a Government’s first responsibility is to it’s own population (by which I mean citizens). Doing what you’re proposing would be a gross violation of that responsibility.
Now, what I might be in favor of is extending an Invitation (not a proposal to annex) to Haiti to formally join Canada as a Province or Territory while respecting their identity as Haitians as we respect the identity of the Quebec Nation within Canada, the Acadian people, the First Nations peoples, the Inuit etc. In effect, instead of bringing Haiti to Canada, bring Canada to Haiti.
BUT, only at their request.
The way I see it, this would bring economic opportunity and development to Haiti, provide reasonable government and protection standards as well as essential needs maintenance (which by the way is what we’d be doing under your proposal anyway, only this way it’s there and not here).
Anyway, just my thoughts.
Given the fact that they are francophone, they would land up in Montreal.
I’m not opposed to having Haitians in my community. In fact, I would be in favor of having more Haitians in my particular part of town than have the community forced into a ghetto in another part of the city.
I work with several Haitians and my wife does also. I think the assumption here is that since they are Haitian, they will of course be unemployed and contribute nothing to their society.
I am concerned though with the volume of Haitians that would need to be relocated. These people have a right to live in a proper setting and moving from a refugee camp to a ghetto in Montreal north is not what I would call an appropriate humanitarian intervention.
In this case, I think the Liberal proposal is reasonable – reuniting family members and the unification of orphans with their extended families.
Charles on the other hand, you do realize that there will be a significant cost to the state to support these refugees and that they will not likely be saving up any coins in the short term?
Also, with regards to what you are describing about Canadian/Haitians saving up money and rebuilding in their homeland, this is exactly what is going on now. The only problem is that on an individual scale, the changes are not noticeable. You will have a nice summer home here and there, but no significant changes to infrastructure could ever happen under this model.
Wow! I am impressed by you guys. Lots of great ideas. In fact, I think you all would do a better job than Jason Kenny!
Sean,
In the context of the art of statecraft, I particularly like your idea. It is very creative. It would be interesting if the rest of Canadians were granted the right to buy and own land on the island. I doubt it would ever happen though.
Nevertheless, I think you all prove my point: Whether Haiti can possibly be re-built is never asked?
RD,
Maybe Haiti should only be a resort spot where people fly in and out for holidays.
Also, I do not care about the cost of welfare because I do not believe anybody is entitled to them.
Shane,
I have no doubt that most new Canadians tend to flock to those three cities. Tough luck for them.
Jonathan,
I am with you. What prompted me to write this post was a chance event. Planning to go out and grab some fast food, I stopped the car in front of a little Haitian restaurant. I realized that I was not in a rush so, I suggested that we go inside. We had a wonderful meal served and prepared by two brothers operating the business. All of the dishes were made from simple staples: rice, beans, vegetables, beef, chicken, turkey and some fruit. However, the mode of preparation was unique. The waiter explained each item to us. It was fun.
First of all, we’re talking about Jason Kenny. Anyone could do a better job, so long as bluster and brow sweat isn’t required.
Second, Charles…come on back to reality. It doesn’t matter if you believe someone is entitled to welfare or not. Outside of your universe, people are getting welfare in many forms. Assuming you have an income, you’re paying for it also.
@john
French is a dying language in canada — getting another couple hundred thousand french people into canada would give the french speaking people in this country more clout, and so there is a significant benefit to them to allow this to happen — not to say there won’t be costs as well. Now the poverty side and the predictability of haitian immigrants is another issue(as would be the racism they would inevitably discover upon arrival), again these would be costs. It is simply not the case that those of us recommending increased, limited immigration from haiti are merely trying to give other people problems — we’re suggesting a solution to a broader, more abstract set of problems. You can pay attention to us or you can ignore us, but you do either at your own peril.
Personally I’d be up for helping a haitian get off their feet*, but I’m in pretty dire straights myself(I will be homeless in less than a month unless I find some work or drop out of school), and I do not live in a building where that would be allowed anyway (and my community speaks essentially no french). The problem will be solved or not solved by people who own property, not those of us who don’t, in any case.
One thing for certain though; if you** ignore this problem(haitian poverty), it will not go away. It might stay located a quarter of of the globe away for awhile, but eventually it’ll be back on your doorstep. You can deal with it now, or you can avoid it and let it fester, up to you.
* Would it be wrong to be secretly wanting to find a wife in this situation? Is being a hopeful single guy so bad?
** People with property
Let’s help Haitians rebuild their lives in Haiti. We already have enough of them here, especially in Montreal.