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Canadian Government adopted an Order in Council pertaining to refugees
Canada adopted an Order in Council which excluded immigrants or refugees of any “Asiatic” race. This ban included Armenians seeking refuge from persecution in Turkey. -
MS St.Louis was refused entry into Canada
The MS St. Louis was a ship that carried 907 Jewish refugees. Sadly, no country would accept the ship, and it had to return to Europe. 254 of its passengers were later killed in the Holocaust. During the Nzai regime, less than 5000 Jewish refugees were admitted into Canada. When a Canadian official was asked how many Jewish refugees the country would accept after the Holocaust they stated: “None is too many.” -
Canada admitts 37,000 Hungarian refugees
After the democratic revolt in Hungary was stopped by soviets, 1000's of Hungarians fled their homes. For the first time due to immense public pressure, the government implemented a special program that offered Hungarians free transport to the country instead of the usual loan they would offer. -
10,975 Czechs seek refuge in Canada after Warsaw Pact troops invaded Czechoslovakia
Many Canadian organizations, universities and provincial and municipal agencies helped in the settlement of the refugees. Without this public and private cooperation. Settlement of Czech refugees would have been much more difficult. -
Canada changed its rules and allowed deserters from foreign armies to receive immigrant status in Canada.
This rule change helped U.S. citizens who opposed the Vietnam War avoid having to participate in the war. Around 10,000 American deserters fled to Canada. -
Canada welcomed a group of Tibetan refugees into the country.
These refugees were one of the first non-European refugees allowed into Canada. -
The new Immigration Act was tabled
In my opinion, this is the most significant event for refugees in Canada. This act was an immense step forward for the rights of refugees in Canada. The legislation recognized refugees as a special class of immigrants, established the definition of a Convention refugee, created a refugee determination system, enabled the private sponsorship of refugees (which would later be used during the South-East Asian refugee crisis) and much more. -
50,000 refugees fled their homes in South-East Asia and settled in Canada.
Thousands of Canadians came forward to welcome refugees, giving a dramatic launch to the new Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program. Pressure from the public forced the government to adjust its initial commitment to resettling the South-East Asian refugees. -
Singh Case
The Supreme Court of Canada declared that the guarantees of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms apply to every person physically present in Canada, including refugees. The supreme court also said that refugees have the right to a full oral hearing of their claims, before being either accepted into the country or declined. This decision drastically changed the way refugees are dealt with in Canada. -
Syrian refugee crisis
Syrian Refugee Crisis. One of the most recent cases of a huge exodus of refugees. The conflict in Syria has been called “one of the worst humanitarian disasters in recent history” In an attempt to help Canada has admitted thousands of Syrian refugees since 2011. Including 33,266 refugees in 2016.
