An opportunity as the EU desperately turns the screws on Canada Immigration

The EU has decided to spend another three months thinking about whether to impose visas on Canadians.

The next three months provide an opportunity for both sides to deal not only with the visible problem of Rumania and Bulgaria but with the underlying mistrust in many European countries concerning Ottawa’s exclusion and exploitation of European workers. 

Both sides should step away from the brink and deal with substance, not posture.

There are two overriding aspects to the visa discussion that go well beyond Rumania –Bulgaria.

• Canada’s introduction of the electronic authorization visa system assures that Canada has imposed an Australian- American de facto global visitor visa system. The 5 Eyes have spoken. Europe will eventually be forced to do the same thing. The world is building walls. It’s sad, and wrong, but it’s done.

• As Canada builds walls, it will be interesting to see if there is room for labour mobility or whether formal exclusion and practical exploitation of European workers will continue. If there is no commitment to labour mobility, then CETA falls before ratification or collapses after ratification 

Thus, the real question: Is Canada Immigration for or against CETA?

If Canada Immigration is serious about salvaging CETA then:

• Canada must start the process to clean up the mess

• Europe will accept that Canada needs time to clear up the 30 year old mess with undocumented European workers.

The human travel mobility battle is lost. Bureaucrats have won control.

The question is whether Canada is for the rule of law in labour mobility or whether bureaucrats and their stakeholders are wedded to the exclusion and exploitation of European workers.  

Given their recent track record, I’m not hopeful that Immigration officials will make the right recommendations to their Minister.

Richard Boraks, April 12 2016