Quote:
Originally Posted by simonsays
I don't know if there is still a national guilty conscious about the Komagata Maru or the SS St. Louis that factors into this. But as a wealthy nation with liberal attitudes towards human rights, we need a strong stance towards refugee claims like this. I'm not opposed to using these 490 (excluding children) in infrastructure projects for their first year of processing. I'm also not opposed to giving them aid and sending them to their next destination. But I am opposed to opening the flood gates. Because if they are given clear cut refugee status then this is only the first of many ships aiming at out shores.
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This "if we allow one, we are going to be overrun" theory seems a little far fetched given that the Sikh ship that landed in Nova Scotia is the last time I remember so many people landing at once. And that was decades ago. If we allowed the Sikh's to be processed and stay as refugee's why haven't we been overrun with ships landing in the last 20 years or so?
This landing by boatloads is very rare given the cost and dangers involved. Most people would take refuge closer to home rather than risk the long trip.