Action of Protest Against Canadian Immigration Policy

A group representing thousands of immigrants from all over the world who have been trying to reunite with their parents for many years, marched in front of Canadian Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Constituency Office on March 11 in Toronto.

Toronto, (PRWEB) March 13, 2005 -- Federal Government of Canada -- country of immigrants built by immigrants, breaches its own promise to be the country where families reunite", said Eugenia Yakhnin, leader of the public group Sponsor Your Parents" that organized the march. It was a very important concern for any individual considering immigration to Canada to be able to invite his or her parents after settling in the new country. For most of us it was the belief that finally brought us into Canada. If we had any doubts about ability of Canadian government to fulfill their promise we would never left our elderly parents alone in our countries".

The official site of Ministry of Immigration says that parental admission quotes have been declining from 20,000 in 2002 to about 5,000 in 2005. But what makes the situation worse and almost critical for all awaiting the ministrys decision is the fact that the Case Processing Centre completely stopped processing of applications that arrived after June 24, 2003.

Such limits may delay issuing parents visas from up to 10 years in Russia and to 18 years in China.

Our parents are getting older and need more our support each day" says Ludmila Gruzdeva, member of the group and such long waiting time greatly reduces their chances to pass medical examination required by Canadian immigration law. If they wont continue processing and clean up applications backlog many elderly people can even die without support from their children".

The group believes that this governments decision is based on false assumption that immigrants parents add a burden on Canadian public health system, social and pension programs.

This is not true" says Svetlana Berger who has been waiting for a ministry decision for more that 1 ½ years when my mom comes here I will be able to work full time leaving my kids with her. My commitment to support my mom, the taxes I and my husband pay, and this new Ontario Health Premium tax will compensate all government medical expenses and provide for other Canadian pensioners.

Group leaders also say that this is a Canadas moral obligation to allow parents to come to their children. Those parents made the greatest investment in this country by raising their children, giving them education, skills and personal qualities that those immigrated children now putting into Canadas economy, culture and society.

Without immigrants parents it would not be such a great country.

Sponsor Your Parents is a Canada-wide public group that fights to increase quotas for parental sponsorship admissions and reduce processing time of parents sponsorship applications.

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