Droves of Sikhs arrive in Canada seeking refugee status, sudden influx creates problem

Canada is the latest Mecca of aspiring immigrants in search of loopholes in tightening immigration laws which are keeping them out of more and more western countries. Droves of Sikhs have been arriving in Canada in recent months claiming to be victims of racial, religious and political vendetta in India. Their objective: refugee status, which entitles them to special permits under Canada's libertarian laws.

Not only have they become a "pain in the neck" say immigration officials, but they arrive fully briefed about how to go about the task of seeking a refugee status, and ask for asylum as soon as they land. The department has been plagued with more than 1,200 such requests in Vancouver and half this number in Toronto - the two cities which are attracting the maximum number of these people. The average number of those arriving vary between 25 and 30 each day.

Under the Canadian law those who come to this country and claim a refugee status, are admitted provisionally, pending the review of their cases by a board in Ottawa. All they have to do is to make a sworn statement before an immigration official. They are also granted work permits while their cases are being probed.

The sudden influx of so-called refugee status applicants has created a serious problem for the Canadian Government. In order to deal with such cases expeditiously, four new committees have been set up. But, despite all the fresh efforts, the officials say that it would be several months before they can clear the backlog.

Clever Ploy: For many of these Indians who succeed in getting the work permits, financially, the entire deal may not after all work out to be so bad. Investigations reveal that many of them have come purposely, knowing that in the end they will have to go back and would not be granted immigration no matter what assertions they make. It has been a clever ploy to work here for as many months as possible and save a sum that they could never have saved in India.

Many of these people are skilled workers - carpenters, machinists, masons and electricians. If their friends or relatives were to engage the services of unionized workers, they would have to pay anything between $18 (Rs 135) and $23 (Rs 173) an hour for an eight-hour shift. In the case of these refugee status applicants, the individuals work from 14 to 18 hours daily and receive less than half the amount.

The employer therefore saves more than 50 per cent on the hourly wage and the money that he pays goes to none other than his friend or relative.