There couldn’t
possibly be anything bad or detrimental about a bill called Protecting Canada’s
Immigration System Act, right? Wrong. This bill, also known as the Conservative
government’s Bill C-31, will have many adverse effects for future refugees who
aim to seek asylum in Canada.
As is noted in
the video, Bill C-31 gives the Minister of Immigration sole power in
determining the status of countries as safe or unsafe. Those immigrants coming
from safe countries are subjected to harsher time restrictions and have little
attention paid to their individual circumstances of persecution. The Minister
is granted the power to place refugees in detention centers, or glorified
prisons, for a one year minimum with no rights for review. Bill C-31
essentially gives one individual the power to decide the fate of thousands, and
to lock up people who are coming to Canada as an escape, a place where they can
find refuge and not fear persecution. Under these circumstances, will Canada
really be a place of true safety for refugees?
This video
argues that as Canadian citizens, we have a responsibility to speak out against
the government if we too see the injustices embedded in Bill C-31. At the time
this video was released, the bill had yet to be passed and thus the call to action
was a preventative measure. Despite the bill passing in Parliament, it is
equally as important for people to voice their opinions on this issue for it is
only through collective calls for change that reform will take place. The video
encourages people to contact their MP, to sign or draft petitions, to host
events and raise awareness, and most important spread the word. Bill C-31 does
little to protect potential immigrants, and apparently neither does the
government. It is up to us as citizens to speak out and spark change by saying
no to Bill C-31.
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