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Chinese Head Tax
The Chinese Head Tax was a fixed fee charged to any Chinese person entering into Canada. The tax was levied after the Canadians Parliament passed the Chinese Immigration Act on Chinese immigration to Canada between 1885 and 1923. The tax started at about $50 but later increased to $100 and $500. The tax was later abolished by the new Chinese Immigration Act of 1923. When the tax was removed in 1923, Chinese immigration was banned until 1947. -
Komagata Maru Incident
This incident involved the Japanese steamship Komagata Maru which a group of citizens mostly Indian, attempted to immigrate to Canada but were denied entry. The boat was travelling from Hong Kong, carrying 376 people, landing on Vancouver's Burrad Inlet, the passengers challenged the Continuous Passage regulation which was an effort to curb Indian immigration to Canada.The boat was denied docking and forced back to India where 19 of the passengers were killed by gunfire and the rest imprisoned. -
Internment of Ukranian Canadians
In the start of WWI more than 8000 people of Ukrainian decent were arrested.They were then sent to camps just because of their identity.Canada was at war with Germany and Austria-Hungary, Ukraine fell into the enemy territory.The government took away possessions and homes of those in the camps.Most were men, their families came since they had no other choice.The prisoners worked as laborers without any wages.They were considered "enemy aliens". This all happened because of the War Measures Act. -
Internment of Italian Canadians
Under the War Measures Act, Canada arrested people of Italian descent because of the war against Italy.The arrests started on June 10, 1940. Any person of Italian descent was arrested and sent to interment camps. The arrests were mainly focused on the men but some families decided follow the men to the camps. The government would often take away the property of those in camps. There was about 700 arrests. In 1990 Prime Minister Brain Mulroney apologized to the Italian community. -
Interment of Japanese Canadians
After the attack on Pearl Harbor there was a lot of suspicion and hatred for Japanese people.In February 1942 Canada decided to move every person of Japanese origin away from the west coast. Over 20,000 people were forced out of their communities with all they could carry onto trains moving inland. They were sent to remote communities in BC where they were unable to leave from without permission from the RCMP.The government said they were protect their belongings instead they sold everything. -
Creation of Immigration Categories
The Immigration Act was established in 1976 like many of it's objectives, it also established immigration categories. It established categories of who can come to Canada from other countries to make permanent homes here.It laid out three categories: Family Class, Economic immigrants, and other, which includes humanitarian and compassionate reasons. Then later in 1976 they decided to add a fourth categories, Refugees because of the increased amount of refugees coming to Canada. -
Immigration Act
The Immigration Act was established in 1976. It states no person shall be granted admission who is a member of any of the following classes: persons who have been engaged in... acts of espionage or subversion against democratic government, institutions or processes as they are understood in Canada. The Immigration Act focused on who should be allowed into Canada, not on who should be kept out. The act was insured and came into force in 1978 by the Parliament of Canada. -
Refugees being added as an immigration category
In 1976 Canada officially made refugees one of it's immigration categories. The change meant that Canada accepted refugees steadily, instead of crisis by crisis.They were established under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.Since the rise of refugee immigrating to Canada seeking refuge status, Canada finally decide to include them as part of the immigration categories. -
Singh Descision
Satnam Singh immigrated to Canada from India seeking refugee status.Canada rejected his case under the Immigration Act of 1976. The act didn't allow Mr.Singh to state his case in person or to appeal the governments decision on his case.The Supreme Court said this violated section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms: Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person, and the right is not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice. -
Immigration and Protection Act
The Immigration and Refugee Protection and Act was established in 2002. It's one of the most recent laws Canada had created and had about immigration since it's creation in 1867. Some objectives include: to reunite families in Canada, pursue social, cultural, economic benefits for all Canadians. Also to respect the multicultural character of Canada. As well to save lives and offer protection to people who are displaced and persecuted and ton affirm Canada's commitments to protect refugee's.
