Send Tamil migrants home: Poll

Illegal immigrants are a great opportunity for big corporations and little companies (like restaurants or bars).
Illegal immigrants are cheap (they cost no social charges), malleable, exploitable, keep straight in fear of the police, and above all they strain the wages of all the legal workers.
No wonder why they are so many. It is a political will. The situation is the same in all occidental countries, no wonder why.

Originally posted by oniongrass
While they did not create Canada's laws, they knew or should have known something of Canada's immigration process before presuming to come to Canada. I expect they could have had internet access while still in Sri Lanka to check this.

[edit on 24-8-2010 by oniongrass]

I highly doubt that these refugees had access to any info on Canada let alone internet access. Don't forget they tried to go to Australia first and were turned away and then came to Canada. It doesn't excuse the deplorable method they used to come here though. We shouldn't have allowed that ship to come to port. Care could have been given offshore by the navy and then they could have been sent on their way with info on how to properly go about getting refugee status in Canada.

Originally posted by FreeSpeaker
I highly doubt that these refugees had access to any info on Canada let alone internet access.

I wouldn't be so quick to rush that opinion. I was reading a National Geographic on Nepal yesterday. You know, Mt. Everest, Katmandu, etc. They went from a country that was Middle Ages societally to a 21st century country in one generation. They have CNN, internet, Coca Cola, etc. And that article was 10 years old.

reply to post by intrepid


It's likely that very few of the people on board the boats had access back home, considering the condition of Sri Lanka and the widespread poverty in S. Asia. Some probably had access to data, but who is to say that all of those people could read Canadian legalese?

I disagree with FreeSpeaker that the refugees should have been turned away because they didn't apply properly; there is no good reason to expect people fleeing an impoverished, wartorn foreign country to speak English or French and have access to the proper legal resources before arriving here. The immigration services should also act as orienteers.

Originally posted by FreeSpeaker

Originally posted by oniongrass
While they did not create Canada's laws, they knew or should have known something of Canada's immigration process before presuming to come to Canada. I expect they could have had internet access while still in Sri Lanka to check this.

[edit on 24-8-2010 by oniongrass]

I highly doubt that these refugees had access to any info on Canada let alone internet access. Don't forget they tried to go to Australia first and were turned away and then came to Canada. It doesn't excuse the deplorable method they used to come here though. We shouldn't have allowed that ship to come to port. Care could have been given offshore by the navy and then they could have been sent on their way with info on how to properly go about getting refugee status in Canada.

They probably had access to info, but heck they already knew they were not eligible. Anyone really knows that countries don't accept people willy-nilly. Sri Lanka probably doesn't either. To immigrate to Sri Lanka I bet the government wants you to apply formally. And it probably doesn't act as orienteer for you.

In fact the Sri Lanka government probably has a selection process that ends up excluding some applicants. Such as, to choose a relevant example the people on the boat were familiar with, Tamil Tigers. So they were or should have been familiar with the idea that governments select immigrants, and approval isn't automatic.

So they decided to make excuses and get in another way. They were caught and the attempt should not succeed. Unless of course they're bona fide refugees. I guess that's always possible for some individuals.



[edit on 25-8-2010 by oniongrass]