Quote:
Originally Posted by BlackEleven
Thanks for finally addressing my question directly. I agree it would be slightly easier for them to get into Canada, but as I've argued before there are many more viable options for them if there intent is to illegally immigrate. Further, you are wrong when you say they have the same rights as a Canadian. There's no way for them to work (legally) and collect social benefits unless they are a Canadian citizen.
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At the risk of putting words in Jolinar's mouth, I think this was part of his initial concern. There are plenty of ways for illegal immigrants (however you want to define that word) to work in Canada illegally. Happens all the time. These workers, in turn, do not contribute to social programs in Canada by paying taxes and all those other awesome deductions that come off our paychecks every two weeks. That's a problem, I think, in Jolinar's eyes.
In the same way, these same illegal immigrants do have access to a lot of social support systems in Canada despite their status here. There's no way an ambulance is going to refuse to take a sick person to the hospital if the person really is in need. They don't pause to ask for a Permanent Resident Card. Likewise, hospitals will treat these people and ask about status and insurance later. Invariably, illegals don't have health insurance and/or can't/won't pay the bills on their own. Those who pay taxes to the government are left picking up the tab. That, again, is part of the problem I thought Jolinar was trying to identify.
Perhaps the way to "fix" these problems is not to prevent illegal migrants from working or staying in Canada. Maybe the ideal solution involves ensuring they pay their way once they're here.