The four peaks of Canadian immigration occurred after the first era of French and British colonization. Aside from immigration, a huge number of non-aboriginal people also settled in only two centuries. At present, Canada is experiencing the fifth peak or wave of the immigration process.
The first wave of Canadian immigration
The first important immigration of non-aboriginal individuals into Canada happened in more than two centuries ago with the highly progressive settlement of the French people of Acadia and Quebec, along with small numbers of entrepreneurs from Europe and America, in addition to the military personnel that came from the United Kingdom.
This particular wave is responsible for the culmination of the influx of British loyalists who tended to flee in an attempt to escape the American Revolution. The places that the British loyalists fled from are the Mid-Atlantic States, which are presently regarded as Southern Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the Eastern townships of the Quebec.
The second wave of Canadian immigration
The second wave comprised of individuals who came from Ireland and Britain, as they were strongly encouraged to stay in Canada right after the War of 1812. The immigrants during this wave were primarily made up of the British army regulars who served during the war. They were invited to settle in Canada because of the threat that America was going to attempt an invasion in order to counter the influence of Quebec on the Canadian people. It is actually because of Quebec that a huge part of Canada knows how to speak French.
The British soldiers did their best in restoring normal settlement conditions in back country areas, along with a newly built plank road that is quite near to the highly organized land tracts in Upper Canada, which is now referred to as Ontario.
Also part of this second wave is the immigration of the Irish into Canada. They transferred to this country because of the Irish Potato Famine which actually occurred starting from 1846 right up to 1849. This famine caused thousands upon thousands more of the Irish people arriving right on the shores of Canada. Among the one hundred thousand Irish individuals who sailed to Canada back in 1847, there was an estimate of one death among five people.
The third wave of Canadian immigration
Majority of those who belong to the third wave of Canadian immigration came from the continental part of Europe. Many of them transferred before World War I, particularly between 1910 and 1913, and more than four hundred thousand in 1913.
The fourth wave of Canadian immigration
The fourth peak is also from Europe, especially the French-speaking populations. Ukrainians who live in Canada account for the largest population of Ukrainians that are outside of Russia and Ukraine itself.
However, Canadian immigration was not all about the increase, because some times also came that somehow decreased the number of immigrants into Canada, such as World Wars I and II, and also the world-famous Great Depression.
Before 1885, restrictions with regards to Canadian immigration have been strongly implemented, especially to the larger groups of immigrants, without aiming at any sort of ethnicity or ethnic group.
Working Chinese in Canada
It was only in 1885 that the first ever Chinese Head Tax was passed to the Canadian Government, which is a response to the increasing number of Chinese individuals who are employed in the Canadian Pacific Railway.
In fact, it is because of this head tax that the number of entrants from China to Canada has largely lessened from 1900 to 1903. Moreover, the Canadian Government also passed what is now called as the Chinese Immigration Act. It is this law that excluded the Chinese people from getting in to Canada from 1923 to 1947.
It was because of this very direct and blatant discrimination against the Chinese immigrants during the previous decades that the Government of China officially released their public apology and just compensations on the twenty second of June of 2006.
Economic immigrants
Canadian citizenship and immigration actually makes use of quite a few sub-categories for its legal immigrants and economic immigrants is one of such classifications. Moreover the highly skilled principal applicants who have a high profile comprise of more than nineteen percent of the population of all immigrants back in 2005.
The Canadian Government has also come up with a VIP program they called the VIP Business Immigration Program that somehow allows immigrants the sufficient business endeavor or managerial venture that they intend to experience. It is through this VIP access or membership that the economic immigrants are granted permanent residency even in just a shorter period of time. Its counterpart in Quebec has been called the Immigrant Investor Program.
Family class
Both the citizens and the permanent residents of Canada are allowed to sponsor any family members who live outside of Canada. This way, they can help their beloved family members immigrate to Canada through the regulations and policies set under a certain Government program.
Refugees
The people who are in need of protection from their own country or from individuals who lived in other nations are also allowed under the regular statutes of Canadian immigration. In fact, it is under the Nationality Law of Canada that immigrants are allowed to apply for citizenship after residing in Canada for three years in any period that is comprised of four years.
Illegal immigration
To date, there is still no information that can be considered as credible with regards to illegal Canadian immigration. Moreover, only estimates can be provided, such as the estimated range of thirty-five thousand to one hundred twenty thousand illegal immigrants in entire Canada.
The former Head of the Canadian Immigration Service, James Bissett, has strongly stated that there must be absolutely not lack in any screening process, especially for refugees. Without this screening process, there is a huge possibility that any deportation orders will be ignored and will only result in having thousands upon thousands of arrest warrants for rejected refugee claimants, with only little efforts exhausted for enforcement.
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