1919
Immigration Act
This was an amending act to the 1910 Immigration Act. It was significant because of its highly restrictive nature and racist underpinnings and because it defined immigration policy for the next twenty-five years.
The act was assimilatory in its aims with white, protestant, Anglo-Saxons being the model.
It maintained the “continuous passage” rule which stipulated that in order to be eligible an immigrant must have travelled directly from his/her country of origin to Canada, essentially excluding visible minorities in general and those from the Indian-sub-continent in particular. Only direct passage from England was assured.
Section 38 also allowed the government to prohibit the landing of immigrants belonging to any race deemed unsuitable to the climate or requirements of Canada or by reason of temporary socio-economic conditions existing in Canada at the time of consideration. This section was used to deny entry to Doubkhobers, Hutterites and Mennonites because of their religious customs and pacifism.
Section 41 extended the ground on which immigrants could be deported to include immorality and political offenses. This had significant implications with the rise of communism and socialism in Canada following the 1917 Russian Revolution and the Winnipeg General Strike in 1919.
Immigration Act
This was an amending act to the 1910 Immigration Act. It was significant because of its highly restrictive nature and racist underpinnings and because it defined immigration policy for the next twenty-five years.
The act was assimilatory in its aims with white, protestant, Anglo-Saxons being the model.
It maintained the “continuous passage” rule which stipulated that in order to be eligible an immigrant must have travelled directly from his/her country of origin to Canada, essentially excluding visible minorities in general and those from the Indian-sub-continent in particular. Only direct passage from England was assured.
Section 38 also allowed the government to prohibit the landing of immigrants belonging to any race deemed unsuitable to the climate or requirements of Canada or by reason of temporary socio-economic conditions existing in Canada at the time of consideration. This section was used to deny entry to Doubkhobers, Hutterites and Mennonites because of their religious customs and pacifism.
Section 41 extended the ground on which immigrants could be deported to include immorality and political offenses. This had significant implications with the rise of communism and socialism in Canada following the 1917 Russian Revolution and the Winnipeg General Strike in 1919.
