Who Gets In: What's Wrong with Canada's Immigration Program—and How to Fix It

Clint MacNeil teaches history, geography, and world religion at St.
Charles College in Sudbury, Ontario.

At the turn of the century, Canada, under the direction of the minister
of the interior, Clifford Sifton, had a very selective immigration
program that called for stalwart peasants in sheepskin coats and could
be considered discriminatory. In contrast, Daniel Stoffman presents a
current portrait of a corrupt and mismanaged system in which immigrants
are allowed to flood Canada’s borders and place a considerable strain
on our social system, economy, and national security. Increasing the
number of immigrants into Canada is not in the best interest of the
nation as a whole.

Stoffman is a proponent of effectively managed immigration that
benefits Canadian society as a whole. He asserts that skilled immigrants
and genuine refugees should without question be allowed to make Canada
their home. What has happened in recent decades is that the system has
been thoroughly eroded by politicians who want their votes, big business
that wants lower inflation rates, and special-interest groups that have
built careers around feeding off the system through the resources they
provide to newly made citizens. Consequently, hundreds of thousands of
unskilled immigrants who claim to be refugees slip into the country and,
in many cases, disappear without a trace. As a result, Canada has lost
track of approximately 28,000 illegal citizens. Word of Canada’s
careless immigration screening process, generous welfare, and the free
services it provides “refugees” has reached the furthest parts of
Africa and Asia and has attracted some shady clientele. Numerous
terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda, Triads, Tamils, Big Circle, IRA,
and Sikh extremists, have made Canada their base from which to continue
their struggles.

Stoffman courageously tackles this politically charged and sensitive
issue. He debunks two transcendent immigration myths: increased
immigration strengthens the economy and counters an aging population.
Both are rooted in fear and are used to frighten Canadians into
acquiescing to the demands of the political and business sectors.
Stoffman’s honest and insightful analysis challenges conventional
wisdom on the subject and offers solutions that could revitalize a
distressingly flawed immigration system.