Canada's Immigration Timeline

Canada's Immigration Timeline

Singh Decision

Internment of Japanese Canadians

Komagata Maru Incident

Chinese Head Tax

Protected the rights of refugees in Canada, as well as insured that refugees wouldn’t be sent back their country if they would be persecuted, tortured or killed. The Singh decision involved a refugee named Satnam Singh. It provided the refugees with life, liberty and safety.

After the attack on Pearl Harbour Canadians were worried that they would be targeted next especially those living in British Columbia Because of this threat to Canada’s coast they decided to put them into internment camps to neutralize the threat. Over 22,000 people were put into camps.

Involved a ship from Japan, containing over 300 passengers, it then underwent a voyage from Japan to Vancouver, Canada. These passengers were immigrants coming to Canada for a better life. However only 24 passengers were permitted to enter Canada. The others were forced to return to their homeland.

"Chinese head tax was to be a fixed fee charged to all Chinese coming into Canada." Head Tax was imposed after the parliament passed Chinese Immigration Act of 1885. That was meant to discourage Chinese from coming to Canada. Tax was destroyed by the Chinese Immigration Act in 1923. This stopped all Chinese immigration except for business people, clergy, educators, students, and other important categories.

1914-1920

1940

1976

2001

1885-1923

1914

1941

1985

Creation of Immigration Categories

Internment of Italian Canadians

Immigration Act

Internment of Ukrainian Canadians

Was a decision to make a set of rules and objectives for immigrants entering Canada some of these objectives included areas in Social, Cultural, and economic benefits to Canada. Bringing in immigrants would spike these areas with growth.

Is when the Government of Canada declared war on Italy’s fascist government just as the Ukraine immigrants were labelled “enemy aliens”, so too were the Italian immigrants. They were put into internment camps. Canada’s government needed to be cautious of the Italian immigrants because they were at war with their homeland

Was part of confining Ukrainian immigrants to camps, because at the time WW1 was happening. Canada’s government did this because they were not sure if they were spies or assassins coming from Europe to infiltrate Canada. About 4,000 Ukrainian immigrants were confined. Including men, women and children, and elders. These camps were also known as “Concentration Camps”.

Refugees: People who are escaping from torture, prosecution or cruel/unusual punishment

Family: Spouses, partners, children, parents and grandparents of people living in Canada

Economic: Skilled workers and business workers

Other: People accepted as immigrants because of humanitarian or compassionate reasons

Immigration and Refugee Protection Act - Explains and establishes who can and cannot come to Canada and create a new home here. It creates categories in which each immigrant must be put into: Refugees, Family, Economic, Other.

By Will Downey