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Chinese Head Tax
The Chinese Head Tax was a tax implemented by the Canadian government for every Chinese person immigrating to Canada. On top of this tax the Chinese immigrants did not have the same rights that the European immigrants had. They were not allowed to vote and were not given any land. In order to come into Canada the Chinese had to pay a Head Tax of $50 in 1885 and the tax increased over the years. Canadians were very racist towards the Chinese and they thought of them as slaves or nobody's. -
Komagata Maru Incident
The Komagata Maru Incident was when the Japanese steamship Komagata Maru, shiped citizens of the British Raj to Canada. There was 376 passengers wanting to immigrate to Canada, but only 24 were admitted. The passengers were comprised of 340 Sikh, 24 Muslims and 12 Hindus, who were all British subjects. They were turned way because of the many Exclution laws that Canada had, to keep Asian immigrants out of Canada. -
Interment of Ukrainian Canadians
In the beginning of WWI, people of Ukrainian descent were arrested under the War Measures Act and sent into internment camps. While in the camps they had to work as labourers, they built roads and more. They did not get money for their hard work. Even after the war, they still had to work in the camps and work for the government without pay, the Ukrainian citizens of Canada were not permitted to leave Canada. -
Internment of Italian Canadians
During World War 2, Canada arrested Italian people and sent them to camps under the War Measures Act. Mostly men were arrested but some of the men's families had to follow them and some of the men's positions were seized by the government. The arrests started on June 10 when Italy declared war on Canada so a total of 700 Italians were affected by the arrests. -
Internment of Japanese Canadians
The Internment of Japanese Canadians also happened in WWII when Japan attacked Pearl Harbour. Most of the Japanese already living in Canada was treated with suspicion and hatred because of the attack. Under the war measures act, 20,000 Japanese people were forced to leave their communities, bringing only what they could carry. They were loaded on trains and were transferred inland to the internment camps. The Japanese people were later apologized to by the Canadian Government in 1988. -
Immigration Act
The Immigration Act of 1976 was the first effective act to represent Canadian immigration legislation. The act clearly defined the primary goals of the Canadian immigration policy. It slated refugees as a distinct class of immigrants and mandated responsibility on the government to work towards the future of immigration. Although it is the Immigration Act of 1976, it started in 1978. -
Creation of Immigration Categories
Under the Immigration Act there are four categories that all immigrants will belong to. The four categories are: economic, refugee, family class, and other. The economic and the other categories are governed by the point system, which they need 68/ 100 points to live in Canada. In order to come into Canada refugees must prove that there is danger or persecution in their home country. Members of the family class category must have a family member in Canada that met all the immigration criteria. -
Refugees Being Added as an Immigration Category
Instead of crisis by crisis, refugees were being allowed into Canada on a steady basis because of refugees being added as an immigration category. This was the first time refugees were recognized as a special class of immigrants by Canadian legislation. -
Singh Decision
Satnam Singh was from lndia, he came to Canada because he wanted to be a refugee. Under the Immigration Act of 1976 he was rejected into Canada and was not able to go in person and state his case. He was also not allowed to talk to the government about the outcome of his case. This went against section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms which states that "everyone has a right to life, liberty and security of except in accordance the principles of fundamental justice" said the Supreme Court. -
Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
The Immigrantion and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) was made to respect and protect the refugees who are in danger, persecuted or displaced. It replaced the Immigration Act of 1976 as the primary immigration law of Canada. The IRPA sets out a high level structure outlining the objectives and guidelines of the government for immigrants and refugees coming into Canada.
