Canadians more tolerant of immigration levels: study

The Canadian Press
Date: Tuesday Dec. 6, 2011 6:42 AM ET

MONTREAL — A new study suggests Canadians have grown more tolerant of the country's immigration levels -- even as the number of newcomers has increased over the years.

A poll of 2,020 people, taken for the Institute For Research on Public Policy, found that 58 per cent of Canadians surveyed last year supported the country's level of immigration.

The findings also suggest that Canadians have had positive views of immigration levels for more than a decade.

The results tell a contrary story to one occasionally found in news headlines that suggest Canadians might be increasingly fed up with accommodating newcomers.

There were actually two prominent news stories Monday in Quebec related to disputes over minority accommodations.

Talk TV was exercised over a report on a Montreal-area municipality's decision to remove Christmas and Hanukkah decorations at city hall. A community group had requested to have Islamic symbols erected as well, and the Town of Mount Royal responded by taking down symbols from all religions, save for a Christmas tree.

There was also a report on the city of Gatineau's immigrant guide book, asking newcomers not to take part in honour killings or cook smelly foods.

But the research director for IRPP's diversity, immigration and integration program said while disputes make flashy headlines, they overshadow the many positive stories of integration that are never told.

"We think sometimes these debates are kind of tough in Canada and things are getting worse -- but we're in a lot better shape, in all kinds of ways, than a lot of other countries," Leslie Seidle said Monday in Montreal.

"Contrary to many other countries, particularly in western Europe, we have a strong majority who think that the level of immigration we have right now is about right."

The IRPP study cited a 2010 survey that found close to 60 per cent of people in the United Kingdom thought there were too many immigrants in their country. By comparison, less than 20 per cent of Canadians felt the same way.

In the poll taken by the German Marshall Fund of the United States, Canadians were also found to be more tolerant of immigrants than people in Italy, Spain, the U.S., France, Netherlands and Germany.

But Canadians' views toward immigrants haven't always been as welcoming.

The study by IRPP, a non-partisan, Montreal-based public policy think-tank, suggests there was a shift in public opinion about a decade ago.

From the late 1970s until the early 1990s, the majority of Canadians held negative attitudes about the country's immigration levels.

Following a shift in the 1990s, Canadians' view of immigration has been more positive than negative since the latter part of that decade.

The country opened its doors to 280,000 immigrants last year and has accepted more than 200,000 newcomers annually since 2000, according to Citizenship and Immigration Department statistics cited in the study. In the mid 1980s, fewer than 100,000 immigrants per year came to Canada.

The report argued that Canadians who support immigration believe that multiculturalism is a source of national pride and creates economic benefits.

The research also found that attitudes about immigration varied by region, though each area had majority support for existing levels.

The Prairies (62.8 per cent), Atlantic Canada (62.5 per cent) and Quebec (61.8 per cent) scored higher than the Canadian average. The other regions, included British Columbia (57.4 per cent), Alberta (54.4 per cent) and Ontario (53.5 per cent).

Seidle was asked whether he was surprised the study found one of the most pro-immigration areas in Quebec, a province that has been at the centre of heated debate over minority accommodations.

He blamed Quebec media for putting too much emphasis on disputes, such as a request a few years ago by a Montreal Jewish community group that a local YMCA frost its windows.

The group no longer wanted its youth to be able to see people wearing revealing clothes as they exercised inside.

"These stories have been blown up," said Seidle, who, for example, added that little adjustments to accommodate diet, dress and days of religious observance are made in schools throughout Montreal every day.

"But maybe we end up paying too much attention to this kind of stuff because it's got conflict underneath it.

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Immigration Equality Praises Obama Administration's Call to Protect LGBT Human Rights Abroad

Group Says Memo "ensures that the federal government will continue to be a key partner in Immigration Equality's efforts" to assist those fleeing persecution from abroad

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Immigration Equality, a national organization advancing equality under U.S. immigration law for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and HIV-positive individuals, praised new guidance issued today by the Obama Administration on the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people abroad. The organization specifically praised the Administration's call for U.S. agencies to "protect vulnerable LGBT refugees and asylum seekers" who flee anti-LGBT persecution. Through a memorandum, and a speech by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Administration sent a strong message that it views LGBT rights as human rights. Speaking in Geneva, Secretary Clinton boldly proclaimed, "Gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights."

Immigration Equality is the nation's largest provider of legal counsel to LGBT and HIV-positive asylum seekers, and the expert trainer on sexual orientation and gender identity claims for the Department of Homeland Security's asylum and refugee protection officers. In 2011 alone, Immigration Equality has already won nearly 100 asylum cases, with 258 cases pending. At the invitation of the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration Equality has trained more than 100 officers on LGBT asylum and refugee issues. Today's Presidential Memorandum makes clear that those training programs are a key part of its plan, noting that government agencies "shall ensure appropriate training is in place so that relevant Federal Government personnel and key partners can effectively address the protection of LGBT refugee and asylum seekers . . ."

"Today the administration committed its muscle to helping provide a safe haven for LGBT people who face violence, persecution and abuse in their home countries," said Victoria Neilson, the group's legal director. "Immigration Equality hears from more than 1,000 LGBT people a year who are fleeing persecution. Many face daunting challenges in escaping their home country, let alone reaching the shores of the United States. By instructing foreign service officers to offer all available assistance to those who seek their help, the White House is extending a helping hand to some of the world's most vulnerable individuals."

Immigration Equality is a national organization fighting for equality under U.S. immigration law for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and HIV-positive individuals

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Arrests at the U.S.-Mexican border continue to drop

WASHINGTON – Arrests of illegal immigrants along the U.S. border with Mexico are at the lowest level since the Nixon administration, indicating that fewer people are attempting to cross the border to live or work in the United States. The development could change the debate on illegal immigration from securing the border to handling the people who are already here.
It's the sixth straight year apprehensions have dropped.

"Increasingly the problem is the 11 million people (in the country illegally), rather than the border itself," said Demetrios Papademetriou, president of the Migration Policy Institute, a non-partisan research organization.

STORY: U.S. border cities prove havens from Mexico's drug violence
STORY: Mounted patrols beefed up at the border

In the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, Border Patrol arrested 327,577 people trying to cross the southern U.S. border. Meanwhile, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials deported a record 396,906 people over the same period. That marks the first time in decades that formal removals from the U.S. outpaced arrests at the border.

The number of arrests of people trying to sneak across the border has been steadily declining since 2006, after an all-time high of more than 1.6 million apprehensions in 2000. During those 10 years, more immigrants have become settled residents of the U.S.

According to the Pew Hispanic Center, nearly two-thirds of the country's estimated 10.2 million adult illegal immigrants have been living in the United States for at least 10 years. A decade ago, fewer than half had been in the U.S. that long.

"This is all part of a larger picture that we're not seeing very many new undocumented immigrants coming in, so the share of new undocumented immigrants is smaller," said Jeffrey Passel, senior demographer at the Pew Hispanic Center. "A lot of people are staying. They've put down roots. There clearly hasn't been a large scale departure of people who have been here a while."

But politicians are still fighting over who is best equipped to secure the border.

Attempts to pass immigration reform legislation have repeatedly failed, with Republicans saying they will not support any bill that provides a path to legalization for illegal immigrants who are here and won't consider other reforms until the border is secure.

Some Republican presidential candidates, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, have signed a pledge to build a fence along the length of the southern border — there is already more than 600 miles of towering steel fencing in place. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who does not support a border fence, has proposed adding to the 1,200 National Guard troops currently stationed along the border in a support role. Perry and Gingrich have both spoken of the need for "humanity" in dealing with illegal immigrants who are already here, and were both criticized by conservative Republicans.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has said the border is more secure than ever before "and it is clear from every measure we currently have that this approach is working."

But the weak U.S. economy and tough new immigration laws in states such as Alabama and Arizona likely play as much of a role in the drop in illegal crossings as increased security efforts, said Doris Meissner, former head of the Immigration and Naturalization Service and a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute.

"There is no single thing we can point to," Meissner said. "I think it's perfectly legitimate to say that border security is working. But it is not legitimate to say they are entirely responsible. Obviously it's a combination of the economy and enforcement."

It is likely that border security will remain a divisive political issue, particularly in the 2012 presidential election, Papademetriou and others said.

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Give Immigration Reform A Chance, Say Nation's Most Conservative Voters

When new GOP presidential front-runner Newt Gingrich recently advocated a "humane" approach to addressing illegal immigrants in America, some conservatives questioned whether it would fatally damage the former House Speaker's campaign.

After all, Texas Gov. Rick Perry saw his bid for the GOP nomination falter in part because of his support for a program that allows children of illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at state colleges and universities.

But a new survey in Iowa of some of the most conservative voters in the nation — that state's likely GOP caucus-goers — suggests that a wider swath of Republicans than previously believed support changes to immigration law that would help young people, as well as businesses and foreign-born entrepreneurs.

The survey, released Tuesday, showed that just 16 percent of likely Iowa GOP caucus attendees surveyed for a coalition of conservative Republicans said they were "outright opposed to proposals" that would modernize and expand legal immigration.


"This survey demonstrates that while opinions are strong on tough enforcement for illegal immigration, it is not the top-tier, hot-button issue among Republican caucus-goers it's often made out to be," says John Stineman, spokesman for the coalition of Iowa Republicans who are working with Partnership for a New American Economy, a national organization that supports immigration reform and sponsored the poll.

"It's eye-opening," Stineman says, and "resets" perceptions of how Iowa Republican caucus-goers view the issue.

Stineman, a GOP strategist who is not working for any of the Republican candidates, said: "There is clearly an appetite for working to solve problems with our legal immigration system, and Iowa Republicans make that connection that doing so can help grow our economy."

Des Moines pollster J. Ann Selzer conducted the survey Nov. 16-19. Selzer conducts the respected Iowa Poll for the Des Moines Register and polls for Bloomberg News.

Reducing government spending and creating jobs "best reflects the mood" of caucus-goers this year, she says, and topped the list of issues important to Iowa Republicans. Fewer than half said that halting illegal immigration is a critical issue.

Social issues, including abortion, were seen by only 35 percent of those surveyed as critical this election year.

"This is a different year, this is a different mood, this is a different agenda," Selzer said.

Iowa Republicans, the survey found, overwhelmingly support tough border security, systems that verify the immigration status of new hires and punishment for businesses that hire those in the country illegally.

But they indicated in the survey that they are open to policies that help foreign-born young people educated in the U.S. to enter the workforce, as well as those that help companies hire seasonal and permanent employees for vacant jobs Americans are not filling.

They also expressed strong support for increasing opportunities for highly-skilled legal immigrants and entrepreneurs to come to the United States.

When asked about legal immigration, 57 percent of Iowa Republican caucus-goers surveyed said that it would be a "good idea" for the U.S. to expand legal immigration in a way that would create jobs.

"Likely Iowa caucus-goers separate concerns with illegal immigration from the potential opportunity of legal immigration," Selzer says.

There's an openness to modernizing the nation's visa policies, she says, including devising a temporary visa program for workers, both low- and high-skilled.

Of those surveyed, 83 percent described themselves as very or mostly conservative. Most had some college or a college degree, and skewed a little older.

"We all know that immigration can be controversial," Stineman says. "We wanted to dig a little deeper and get away from tired talking points."

Iowa Republicans get that immigration reform and visa reform can create jobs, he said.

What that means for Mitt Romney, recently overtaken by Gingrich in Iowa caucus polls as well as national polls, remains to be seen.

Romney has fashioned himself as a tough-on-illegal-immigration candidate, criticizing both Perry for his tuition stand and Gingrich for suggesting that illegal immigrants who have been here a long time, "paying taxes and obeying the law" should be allowed to stay.

The Partnership for a New American Economy describes itself as a bipartisan group of mayors and business leaders working to "raise awareness of the economic benefits of sensible immigration reform."

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Alabama attorney general questions tough immigration law

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – The top legal official in the U.S. state with the country's toughest immigration law has suggested throwing out parts of the law after challenges by the federal government and strong protests by rights and business groups.
In a letter to legislative leaders, Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange said the proposed changes would make the law "easier to defend in court" and "remove burdens on law-abiding citizens."

The letter, sent last week and acquired by The Associated Press, represents the first time the attorney general has expressed concerns since he started defending the law against a federal court challenge filed by about 30 organizations and individuals.

STORY: Ruling on Ala. immigration law averts exodus
OUR VIEW: Alabama nets more than illegal immigrants
OPPOSING VIEW: Alabama just enforcing federal law

The law is considered by both opponents and supporters as the toughest in the U.S. against illegal immigrants.

The state Legislature passed the law to scare off illegal immigrants and open up jobs in a state suffering from more than 9% unemployment. The law took effect in late September, except for provisions put on hold temporarily by federal courts.

Some immigrants then fled the state, and some employers found they couldn't find people to fill the jobs they left behind.

Governor Robert Bentley on Monday said he is concerned the law might be affecting industrial recruitment. He said the law needs simplifying, but it shouldn't be repealed.

And a leading business organization in Alabama's largest urban area called for revisions Tuesday, expressing concerns that the law taints Alabama's image around the world. The Birmingham Business Alliance said complying with the law is a burden for businesses and local governments. The group did not offer specific changes.

Strange, the attorney general, recommended repealing a section of the law that makes it a crime for an illegal immigrant to fail to carry registration documents. That section has been put on hold temporarily by a federal court. Strange said federal law already makes it a crime and repealing it would allow police "to focus on more important aspects of the law."

He also suggested repealing the requirement that public schools collect information on the immigration status of students. That section is also on hold.

His letter was written in response to Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, who said the Legislature would only consider changes recommended by the attorney general. Marsh and House Speaker Mike Hubbard did not immediately respond to requests for comments about the letter.

Strange said his recommendations were based only on the legal challenge to the law and on efforts to make the law clearer. "The legislative leadership asked for our opinion and we provided it," he said in an email.

Also Tuesday, state agriculture officials met with farmers to discuss their concerns that the law has driven off the laborers they will need to plant their crops in the spring. Officials discussed the possibility of using prison inmates to fill labor shortages.

One of the attorneys challenging the law, Karen Tumlin of the Immigration Law Center, said officials are beginning to see the "devastating" impact the law is having.

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EU IMMIGRATION

How can the European Union Benefit You?
- Become a citizen of an EU country
- Become a resident of an EU country
- Marry an EU citizen/resident
- Obtain an "EU Passport"
- Work temporary in any of the member countries

Overview: The European Union (EU) consists of 27 individual countries, which entitles all citizens to live, travel and work in the country of their choice. Citizens can freely travel, work, retire, or just vacate without any problems in any EU country. The European Union provides individuals and families with choices that other individual countries around the world cannot offer. The "Single Market" that was created in 1993 states that people, money, services, and good can move freely within the European Union. Currently over 450 million EU citizens are provided with these options.

Opportunities: The 27 EU countries have different immigration programs in terms of foreign work programs, ways to obtain citizenship, unemployment rates, inheritance of citizenship, and other official immigration programs which allows individuals to live in one or several EU countries. Some immigration programs can end with a citizenship while other programs are time limited and related to work or tourism. The advantage of citizenship in an EU country is that the laws and regulations of the EU is applicable to any country that you decide to live and work in.

EU Citizenship: The Treaty of Maastricht states that


Every person holding the nationality of a Member State of the European Union
is, as a result, a citizen of the Union. Citizenship of the Union supplements
national citizenship without replacing it. It is made up of a set of fundamental
rights and obligations enshrined in the EC Treaty among which it is worth
underlining the right not to be discriminated on the basis of the nationality.


This means that an individual who becomes a citizen of any EU country automatically is granted EU citizenship. EU citizenship is not a separate "national" citizenship, but is related to the individual's rights in any of the 27 EU countries. For example, a citizen of Poland has the right to move to Spain and work/retire legally.

Citizenship vs. Residency: There is a fundamental difference between becoming a citizen and a resident of any EU country. Citizenship is normally obtained through birth, marriage, long-term residency and family relations. Only citizens can obtain a passport. A resident with the legal right to live and work in an EU country holds a foreign citizenship and passport. However, different countries have different rules and regulations for how long an individual can be a resident before it is possible to apply for citizenship. A resident that gets married to a citizen can apply for citizenship. Dealing with foreign governments in a different language is not always easy, which is why our "EU Immigration Guide" provides you with simple and plain information in English.

Do you need an EU lawyer? People have different reasons for who they want to obtain a EU citizenship or a work permit for EU. However, it is not necessary to pay an EU immigration attorney 1000's or Euros to answer this question (unless you got the money for it). Our "EU Immigration Guide" will take you an hour or two to read, pending on your English proficiency. Within that time you will know where to look, questions to ask, and how to proceed. The more experience you have about your own immigration process, the better off your are and you may very well be able to do it on your own. Download our "EU Immigration Guide" for more information.

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UK immigration ordeal over for former X Factor contestant

The family of Gamu Nhengu, a former contestant on hit television show 'The X Factor', have successfully blocked an attempt by the UK Home Office to appeal against a court decision that granted the family leave to remain in the UK.
Gamu Nhengu, 19, originally from Zimbabwe, appeared on the Saturday night reality show in 2010, where she failed to secure a place in the live shows after being controversially rejected by then-judge Cheryl Cole. At the same time, it was reported that Nhengu’s mother had attempted to renew her UK visa, but that the application had been rejected by UK immigration officials. The family relied on the visa to reside in the UK.

It later emerged that the Home Office had accused the applicant of wrongly claiming working tax credits while also working as a nurse for the eight years the family lived in Scotland. The family have consistently denied the allegation.

Following the visa application being refused, an appeal was launched by lawyers for the family in October 2010, and a month later the Home Office announced they would reverse their earlier decision and reconsider the application. In May this year, family lawyers announced a ruling had been made allowing them to stay in the UK. However, while the Home Office did launch an appeal against the decision, they have failed to over turn the verdict, ensuring the Nhengu family have leave to remain in the UK.

A UK Border Agency spokesperson said they were disappointed with the Court’s decision and will be looking closely at the judgement. “The UK Border Agency considers every case carefully and where we do not believe someone has the right to stay in the country, and they do not require our protection, we expect them to return home”, they said.
The UK Visa Bureau is an independent immigration consultancy specialising in helping people prepare for their UK Ancestry Visa application.

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Immigration protesters bring their message to Gadsden

Protesters gathered downtown in the parking lot by Jack’s Saturday to talk about the immigration bill HB 56 and protest outside the jail. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I headed over to the protest. The first thing I saw were a couple of opposition protesters across the street.

Counter protesters James Snyder, left, and Tim Hudson stand in opposition as protesters speak out against Alabama House Bill 56 and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement program December 3, 2011 near the Etowah County Detention Center in downtown Gadsden, Ala. (Gadsden Times, Sarah Dudik)

When I got to the parking lot around 11:30 a.m. there weren’t too many people. Those who were there were getting organized. They set out snacks and water, made signs for the protest, set up audio and made Christmas cards for the inmates at the Etowah County Detention Center.

Trish Rice, seated, Birmingham, makes a sign as protesters speak out against Alabama House Bill 56 and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement program December 3, 2011 near the Etowah County Detention Center in downtown Gadsden, Ala. Members of Occupy Birmingham organized the protest. (Gadsden Times, Sarah Dudik)

Slowly, more and more people started showing up in the parking lot. Many of the protesters were Hispanic, but many were not. There was a group of women wearing headscarves and I chatted for awhile with an Indian doctor. The majority of the protestors seemed well-spoken and polite.

Several speakers shared their heartfelt stories of being undocumented immigrants in Alabama.

Jocelyn Martinez, 13, Pelham, talks about how her mother, stepfather and younger sister left Alabama because they were scared of the consequences of the law as protesters speak out against Alabama House Bill 56 and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement program December 3, 2011 near the Etowah County Detention Center in downtown Gadsden, Ala. Martinez is staying behind with her uncle for now. (Gadsden Times, Sarah Dudik)

Sana Mohammad, Birmingham, shares the story of how she and her son were arrested and detained as protesters speak out against Alabama House Bill 56 and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement program December 3, 2011 near the Etowah County Detention Center in downtown Gadsden, Ala. To her left is Luis Robledo, who is translating her story into Spanish, and to her right is William Anderson, one of the organizers of the protest. (Gadsden Times, Sarah Dudik)

Victor Palafox tells the story of how he has grown up in the United States since he came here at the age of 6 as protesters speak out against Alabama House Bill 56 and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement program December 3, 2011 near the Etowah County Detention Center in downtown Gadsden, Ala. Palafox was unable to attend college despite having scholarships since he is an undocumented immigrant. (Gadsden Times, Sarah Dudik)

The police were all around the area, but in a supervisory capacity. Most kept their distance from the parking lot. When the protesters left the parking lot and headed to the Etowah County Detention Center, law enforcement aided in traffic control.

Some of the inmates at the detention center started pounding on the windows and shouting when the protesters went by the jail.

In one window a sign reading “DETENTION=INJUSTICE” could been seen briefly before it was taken down.

The demonstrators circled around the block and stopped outside the detention center a few times, shouting words of encouragement like “You are not forgotten,” “Feliz Navidad!” and “We love you!”

Then, the protesters headed back down to the parking lot where they took some more photos and began to disperse and I came back to the office to work up my pictures from the day.

It was a beautiful day for a protest.

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Rethinking immigration crackdown

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA -- America’s toughest immigration crackdown was meant to drive illegal workers from Alabama.

But after two employees with foreign automakers Mercedes-Benz and Honda were stopped by police in recent days, it is giving many pause for thought. The companies have poured billions of dollars of investment into the state.

Republican backers of the state crackdown say they have been talking to business leaders, and have been considering “tweaks” to some of the provisions of the law which came into force in September

“I’ve met with a lot of members of the business community... and yes that it is a concern about the image we are creating and does it affect economic development in our state,” J. T. “Jabo” Waggoner, the state’s Republican senate majority leader told Reuters. “But let me hasten to add, this is a federal issue that the federal government has refused to act on,” he added.

As Republican presidential candidates sparred over who can be tougher on immigration in recent weeks, Alabama experienced the downside of taking a hardline stance.

Although legally in the United States, German Mercedes-Benz executive Detlev Hager was arrested in Tuscaloosa in November after failing to provide a passport or driver’s license required by the law. The charges were later dropped.

Then this week, a Japanese worker assigned to the Honda assembly plant in nearby Lincoln was ticketed for not having proper identity documents.

The Alabama law, which was passed in June, requires police to detain people they suspect of being in the US illegally if they cannot produce proper documentation when stopped for any reason. A US appeals court has blocked Alabama from enforcing part of the new law, including a provision that permits Alabama to require public schools to determine the legal residency of children upon enrollment but left most of it untouched.

The recent incidents triggered dismay and ridicule in Alabama, where Mercedes-Benz opened a plant in 1993, and was followed by Honda, Hyundai and Toyota. The four have together made, or announced, investments totaling $8.2 billion in the state through 2014.

Mercedes did not respond to a request for comment. Mark Morrison, Honda’s spokesman for the Lincoln plant, said the company would take all necessary steps to comply with the law. -- Reuters

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Gatineau immigration group defends controversial guide

Guide tells immigrants that obnoxious cooking smells, being late, religious proselytizing are frowned upon in Gatineau society, while violence against women and children and bribery of public officials are not acceptable
A group that offers settlement services to immigrants in Gatineau says the city’s controversial new guide for immigrants is useful and should be translated into many languages.

Carmelo Marchese, who offers settlement services to immigrants with Accueil-Parrainage Outaouais, said the document must be understood in the context that it was intended.

“They did that document to help immigrants establish themselves in the region,” he said. “If there are some paragraphs that could be interpreted as offensive, it is probably because you take it out of context. That’s my view as an immigrant.”

The guide, published by the city in October, contains 16 points detailing cultural norms to help immigrants settle in Gatineau.

Violence cannot be tolerated for reasons including “ancestral rights,” “safeguarding honour,” or “culture or religion,” the guide says. It also tells immigrants that women have equal rights and children cannot be treated with physical and sexual abuse, forcible confinement, neglect, forced labor, humiliation, willful malnutrition, the refusal of health care, or refusal of access to recognized educational services.

“There is a possibility that some immigrants in their country of origin, corporal punishment is still something applied to children. In that sense, to inform newcomers that that is something that we don’t tolerate in Canada is not that bad,” said Marchese. “I think 99 per cent of immigrants, they would be aware because in their country of origin corporal punishment is not allowed, but it is possible that in some region of the world they still use corporal punishment.”

The only wrong-headed part of the guide is the section that warns immigrants about bothering others with strong cooking smells, said Marchese.

“You are free to cook whatever you want at home,” he said. “I did not think that part is pertinent.”

The rest of the guide is useful for immigrants, he said, adding that he wishes it could be translated into other languages for non-Francophone immigrants.

However, others have been critical of the document—arguing that it is based on wrong assumptions about immigrants and that it “infantilizes” them.

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