Quote:
Originally Posted by GirlySports
I was thinking more of the British and French as they colonized in the 1700s. But the Irish, although persecuted, still those with money got farther. It was more expensive to go to America then to Canada. It's similar to today. If you're Syrian you have to pay to get on the boat to flee, otherwise you're stuck and probably dead.
So I don't think immigration has changed much over the centuries. You need money to go anywhere. My dad paid off someone to get on a boat.
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I don't know how it worked in the 1700s. I do know that in the 1970s when my parents and siblings came over as refugees, it had nothing to do with money. They had to stay in a camp in Italy for 2 years, learn basic English and find a company to sponsor my father for work before they were allowed to immigrate to Canada. And they had nothing but the clothes on their backs (literally) when they left. Fortunately, the Catholic Church at the time was have clothing drives for newcomers and they were able to get in on that. Then my father had to work for a forestry company at a reduced rate to pay back the government for the cost of the the tip and to pay his employer for rent (the employer owned the accommodations). It was practically indentured labour.
I'm sure people with money had a much easier time coming over though.