Canadian immigration announces Temporary Foreign Worker changes

Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the Canadian federal government's immigration department, has announced major changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
The TFWP allows foreign workers to acquire Canadian work permits.
On Friday 20th June 2014, Canada's employment minister Jason Kenney and the immigration minister Chris Alexander announced the changes in a joint press conference. The two ministers said that their "reform" of the system would help to prevent abuse.

The main reforms are

• No employer to be able to hire low-waged TFWP workers in areas where the unemployment rate is above 6%
• Maximum duration of TFWP work permit to be reduced to less than the current four years. New maximum not yet known
• Improvements to the Labour Market Opinion system to include better labour market information
• An increase in the application fee from $275 to $1,000 per worker
• The introduction of a cap on the percentage of employees at any one work site that can be sourced through the TFWP. A maximum percentage of 30% will be introduced immediately
• The maximum percentage of workers under the TFWP will be reduced further in the next two years. It will fall to 20% on July 1st 2015 and 10% on 1st July 2016
• An increase in the number of government inspectors and inspections made to ensure compliance with the terms of the program.
• Increase in maximum fine for abuse of the program to $100,000
• Increased funding to facilitate more criminal prosecutions of employers who abuse the system

The changes were brought in with immediate effect.

TFWP

The government has also said that it will publish the names of all employers who apply to employ TFWP workers and will publish the number of visa approvals for each quarter.

The TFWP allows Canadian employers to employ foreign workers where there is no Canadian willing and able to do the job. To be able to employ a TFWP worker, an employer must usually first gain a Labour Market Opinion (LMO) which will be taken as proof that this is the case.

The employer can then offer a position to a foreign worker. The foreign worker must then apply for a TFWP work permit, (submitting a copy of the LMO with his application. He must then apply for a Canadian temporary residence visa.

Bargaining power

Critics of the system have complained for some years that this system allows Canadian employers to employ foreign workers on low wages. They say that foreign workers employed under the TFWP cannot take another job when they are in Canada. They therefore have little bargaining power during pay negotiations.

This in turn, the critics say, means that Canadian workers are often not prepared to work for the low wages on offer in low-skilled jobs. They say that the system is open to abuse.

There have been several recent reports of abuse of the TFWP. Most recently, in April this year, several restaurants in western Canada, including several branches of MacDonald's in Victoria, British Columbia, were accused of employing foreign workers at the expense of Canadian workers.

TFWP 'has driven down wages'

The program is designed to prevent this from happening but Canadian unions complain that in reality, the program has been used to drive down wages and to employ foreign workers at lower wages.

The two ministers launched a phone line to allow people to report suspected abuses of the program on 6th April 2014. It has so far received over 1,000 complaints.

Mr Kenney said that he was 'disturbed' by reports of restaurants 'opening up new stores, new franchises, in areas where they tell us there are no local workers available'. He said that this was 'clearly an abuse' of the program.

Moratorium

In April, the Canadian government imposed a moratorium on the issuing of new TFWP work permits to businesses in the hospitality industry sector pending an investigation into abuses of the scheme. That investigation has now been completed and the new rules are in place. The moratorium on the hospitality sector has therefore been ended.

But hospitality industry figures have spoken out against the new reforms. They claim that Canadians do not want to work in hospitality and warn of staff shortages ahead.

One, Garth Whyte, of industry lobby group Restaurants Canada told Canadian broadcaster CBC 'the rules have become so stringent that's it's going to be very difficult for our members to access it.

'Gross overreaction'

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business said that the new rules were a 'gross overreaction to a handful of negative stories'. Dan Kelly, the president of the Federation said 'Unless the federal government is prepared to force unemployed Canadians to move to take jobs they don't want, these changes leave a huge gap for employers'.

According to the St Albert Leader website, the independent MP from Edmonton-St Albert, Brent Rathgeber said; 'I'm quite confident that we're going to see things like 24-hour drive-thrus close and reduced hours simply because the employers are not going to have the human resources to stay open'.

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US Immigration reform 'unlikely' before 2017

President Obama made immigration reform one of his top priorities for his second term. This may, ironically, be why he has not managed to achieve it. Some Republicans in the House of Representatives seem to have taken it as a personal challenge to prevent it from happening.

Latest news

• 09 July 2014 Obama: White House will reform US immigration
• 02 July 2014 New York Senate to vote on 'state citizenship' for illegal residents
• 01 July 2014 US interest in 'soccer' caused by immigration and 'moral decay'

Now, it seems that the consensus view of both parties and of both sides of the

 immigration argument is that the Republicans in the House (as it is known) have won. There will be no immigration reform while President Obama is president.

The next presidential election will be held in November 2016. Perhaps whoever takes over will have greater success in passing immigration reform legislation through both Houses of Congress.

'Nothing's going to happen'

'Nothing's going to happen' said Representative Luis Gutierrez on Wednesday 25th June. Gutierrez is a leading proponent of immigration reform.

Last year, Mr Gutierrez expressed confidence that enough House Republicans would vote in favour of a reform bill already passed by the Senate for the bill to become law. The Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act 2013 (The Border Security Act) was passed by the Senate in June last year.

Supporters of reform were hopeful that the bill would soon be passed by the House as well. 'We found the 50 [or so] Republicans we need to pass immigration reform. Now we need to get it done,' he told journalists.

'How many times does someone have to say 'no'?

But now Mr Gutierrez has lost hope that Republicans will cooperate 'Every day, they become not recalcitrant [but] even more energetically opposed to working with us. How many times does someone have to say 'no' until you understand they mean no?'

The US immigration system is commonly accepted to be 'broken'. Businesses complain that they cannot bring in enough skilled workers from abroad to help their businesses succeed. Only about 6% of immigrants to the US come in work-related categories. This compares to about 26% in Australia and Canada.

However, the biggest problem for employers is the difficulty in obtaining temporary non-immigrant visas such as the L-1 visa and H-1B visa.

And there is also the problem of the 11.5m illegal residents in the US. Most people accept that, in practice, it would be impossible to hunt down and remove them all. Therefore, many people say, there should be an amnesty of sorts. People currently in the US illegally should be allowed to regularise their status. They could then work legally and pay taxes, the argument goes.

80% in favour of reform

Polls repeatedly show that over 80% of the US population would be in favour of such an arrangement. But there are many Republican members of the House of Representatives who oppose reform. And, if they don't support it, then it's not going to happen.

Two recent developments have, it seems, finally killed off all hope of reform. Frustratingly, for those who support reform, this should not have happened. The recent developments have been misrepresented and misunderstood but, that's politics.

Firstly, the leader of Republicans in the House, Eric Cantor, was defeated in a primary election in his home district in Richmond, Virginia.

Brat

Mr Cantor's opponent, Steve Brat, was a vocal opponent of immigration reform. Some in the press suggest that it was this opposition to reform that won Mr Brat the election.

Frustratingly for supporters of reform, it would appear that this is not true. Mr Cantor was not a supporter of reform so it seems that, in fact, immigration was not a factor in this election. It seems that, in fact, Mr Cantor lost because he was very unpopular in his district. He was seen as a Washington insider who was motivated by personal ambition and had little time for his constituents.

However, even though it is probable that Mr Cantor's defeat seems to have had nothing to do with immigration, it seems that a lot of Republicans fear that it did.

Incumbent Republicans scared of Tea Party challengers

Therefore, Washington insiders say, House Republicans are not prepared to vote in favour of reform for fear that they will meet the same fate at the hands of disgruntled Republican voters. All Representatives in the House face re-election later this year.

The second is the arrival on the Mexican border of tens of thousands of children who have come from Central America. Republicans blame President Obama for this. They say that the President's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme has led Central Americans to believe that all children will be allowed to stay in the US if they arrive there.

Frustratingly again, while there may be some truth in this claim, the President never said any such thing.

DACA

The DACA program grants an immunity from deportation for certain young illegal residents providing that they do not have criminal records. The immunity lasts for two years and can be renewed.

It is also a stipulation of the program that applicants must have been in the US for at least five years before applying. Therefore these Central American children, who have arrived comparatively recently in the US, cannot apply for immunity from deportation under the DACA program.

Nonetheless, Republicans have said that they cannot trust the President with the immigration system.

Republicans 'don't trust Obama'

They add that they would not be able to trust him to implement a comprehensive immigration reform law if they passed one because he is soft on immigration. Again, this is not borne out by the facts. The Obama administration has deported more people than any other. But House Republicans do not seem to be overly concerned with facts at the moment.

At a meeting of the House Judiciary Committee last week, some Republicans called for all aid to Mexico to be stopped until the US-Mexican border is impenetrable. They have called for the building of hundreds of miles of razor-wire topped fencing to prevent illegal immigration.

To add to the pessimism over reform, John Boehner, the speaker of the House, has said that he intends to take the President to court over his use of Presidential powers. Boehner says that the president has acted unconstitutionally by introducing the DACA program. He feels that various policies introduced by the President are also unconstitutional.

The Gang of Eight

This has been a frustrating two years for supporters of immigration reform. The President promised action once he was re-elected in 2012. In early 2013, a group of eight senators, four Republicans and four Democrats, drafted a comprehensive immigration bill, which became the Border Security Act. In June 2013, the Senate passed the Act with bipartisan support.

The Act provided for

• The creation of a 'pathway to citizenship' for most illegal residents. They would have to pay a $500 fine, learn English and pay back taxes
• An increase in the annual number of H-1B temporary skilled work visas' from 85,000 to over 150,000. This figure could rise above 200,000 if demand was high
• All graduates from US universities with higher degrees to be able to apply for green cards
• An increase in spending on border security by $4.5bn over the next four years
• The abolition of country quotas for US employment based green cards.

For the last year, Mr Boehner has refused to allow the House to vote on reform. As speaker, he decides what bills the House votes on.

Boehner 'fears splitting Republicans'

Washington insiders say that Mr Boehner will not allow a vote because he fears splitting the Republican Party. Some Republicans, supporters of the radical Tea Party movement, oppose immigration reform vehemently.

Others in the party believe that the party must reach out to the fastest growing section of the US electorate; Hispanic citizens. Most illegal immigrants, 80% of them in fact, are thought to be of Hispanic ethnicity.

Polls suggest that over 70% of Hispanic voters supported President Obama at the 2012 election while only 28% supported his Republican challenger Mitt Romney.

Amnesty

Part of the reason for this is that most Hispanic citizens want an amnesty for illegal immigrants. Mr Obama promised one, Mr Romney promised to make life so difficult for illegal immigrants that they would leave the country (this policy is known as 'self-deportation').

As the Hispanic population of the US grows, the increase in support for the Democratic Party is likely to grow with it. Some moderate Republicans believe that the only way to win back Hispanic voters (as many as 45% of Hispanic voters voted for George W Bush) is to support the creation of a pathway to citizenship.

Meanwhile, the extreme right Tea Party Republicans believe that to grant an amnesty to 11.5m illegal residents would simply gift the Democrats millions of votes.

Self-interest

As ever, in Washington, what may look at first glance like a matter of principle, soon shows itself to be largely to do with self-interest.

But sadly, for now at least, it seems that while the politicians think about themselves and their chances of re-election, the chaotic and inefficient immigration system limps on, keeping immigrants waiting for years for permanent residence visas, leaving businesses without the skilled workers they need and leaving 11.5m illegal residents in limbo.

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Immigration reform effectively dead until after Obama leaves office, both sides say

 June 26 2014

The two-year attempt to push immigration reform through Congress is effectively dead and unlikely to be revived until after President Obama leaves office, numerous lawmakers and advocates on both sides of the issue said this week.

The slow collapse of new border legislation — which has unraveled in recent months amid persistent opposition from House Republicans — marks the end of an effort that Democrats and Republicans have characterized as central to the future of their parties. The failure also leaves about 12 million illegal immigrants in continued limbo over their status and is certain to increase political pressure on Obama from the left to act on his own.

Some of the most vocal proponents of a legislative overhaul say they have surrendered any last hope that the parties can reach a deal. The realization marks a low point for advocates who mounted the first serious immigration push since 2007, when the Senate defeated a bipartisan effort under then-President George W. Bush.

Obama called immigration reform his top priority for his second term, and many GOP leaders suggested after the president’s reelection in 2012 that a deal was necessary for the party to broaden its appeal to Latinos.

But after a year of cajoling, prodding and berating House Republicans, leading advocates acknowledge that time has run out. Friday marks a year since the Senate approved a comprehensive immigration bill on a bipartisan vote, with no progress evident in the GOP-controlled House and few working days left in the year to approve legislation.

“Nothing’s going to happen,” Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill.) said in an interview after denouncing his GOP colleagues as inactive in a fiery House floor speech this week. “My point of view is, this is over. . . . Every day, they become not recalcitrant, but even more energetically opposed to working with us. How many times does someone have to say no until you understand they mean no?”

Chances of legislation advancing in the House are “next to zero,” said Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), a member of a bipartisan group of eight senators who led reform efforts in the chamber.

“It’s a shame,” he added. But after talking to GOP colleagues in the House, “there’s just no appetite for it right now.”

Hopes for a broad immigration deal already had dimmed considerably by this spring. But the Obama administration and its Democratic allies believed, based on signals from House Speaker John A. Boehner (Ohio) and other GOP leaders, that there was a final window for possible agreement this summer before the midterm elections.

Two recent developments, however, doomed whatever chances remained, advocates and lawmakers said. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) lost a primary election this month to a tea-party-backed challenger who ran on a strong anti-immigration platform. In addition, a new crisis erupted on the Mexican border, as tens of thousands of unaccompanied Central American children were apprehended crossing illegally into Texas over the past several months.

House Republicans have cited both situations as evidence that the time is not right for a bipartisan deal that would provide legal status, and potentially citizenship, to millions of illegal immigrants. Many also have stepped up their rhetoric on the issue, blaming the administration for the border crisis and saying Obama has not convinced them that he will adequately enforce immigration laws.

Several House Republicans suggested at a hearing this week that the United States should, among other things, cut off all economic aid to Mexico until the border is secure, build hundreds of miles of new fencing to help prevent more illegal immigration and immediately put the children arrested by Border Patrol officers on buses back to their home countries.

“I think what you need to do is ask the Guatemala government where they want these kids dropped off when the buses bring them back down there,” Rep. Mike D. Rogers (R-Ala.) told Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson at the hearing.

In addition to considering Obama’s border policies lax, Republicans also object to his 2012 decision not to deport young immigrants who were brought to the country illegally by their parents. Boehner said this week that House Republicans intend to sue the president over his use of such executive powers.

“If the administration were serious about enforcing the law, they would not take the law into their own hands and repeatedly find ways to not enforce the law,” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) told reporters at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast Thursday.

Asked later about the prospects for immigration reform this year, Goodlatte said, “The environment for doing this is exceedingly difficult.”

White House officials acknowledged this week that they have seen no signs of movement on immigration from House Republicans in recent weeks. The president is likely to face a shift in tactics among immigrant advocates, who will renew demands that he use his executive powers to further stem deportations.

Obama rebuffed such calls from Democrats and advocacy groups in the spring, asking that they present a united front against House Republicans through the end of July, which he described as the final window of time for a potential breakthrough. He delayed an internal review of deportation policies at the Department of Homeland Security until after the summer.

Asked this week whether House Republicans had responded to that opportunity, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said, “Sadly, no.”

“Unfortunately, right now I think the early indications are not very good for a lot of progress on this front,” he said. “For a year, there has been a very clear template . . . but House Republicans at every turn have blocked any sort of progress.”

Frank Sharry, executive director of America’s Voice, a leading immigrant rights group, predicted that pressure on Obama would “increase significantly in July” because advocates have lost hope in the legislative process.

Boehner has named a working group of seven GOP members to monitor the administration’s response to the border crisis involving unaccompanied children. He said the group will report back to him after the Fourth of July holiday recess with suggestions for potential changes in the law.

But even if Boehner were to revive House efforts to pursue legislation, the calendar leaves precious little time.

The House is in session for four weeks until the five-week summer recess that starts in early August. After that, there are just 10 legislative days in September — probably devoted to a host of complex fiscal issues, including a new highway bill and a measure to keep the federal government open when the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1. The House has two legislative days scheduled in October, but those sessions could be canceled to allow members to spend more time at home campaigning for the midterm elections.

The potential of an electoral upheaval leaves the lame-duck session after the midterms fraught with uncertainty. Members of both parties suggest that it is highly unlikely that immigration reform could be restarted next year, when the early stages of the 2016 presidential campaign takes shape.

Democrats have signaled that they will continue pushing Republicans to act. Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and other Democrats rallied Thursday morning to once again make their case, repeating justifications for the legislation that they have used repeatedly for the past two years.

At a breakfast Wednesday held by the Wall Street Journal, Sens. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) — two sponsors of the Senate immigration bill — acknowledged that the chances of House legislation are exceedingly slim.

“I can’t tell you we have a great shot at it,” said McCain, who was his party’s 2008 presidential nominee. “But I know the consequences of failure.”

comments :

Michelle Harte : Vote every Democrat Liberal out that supports amnesty and the destruction of America!

Chairman of the Board : With no interest in education, culture, laws, language, customs, civic responsibility, nothing. Just yobs and living in ethnic enclaves within towns and cities from there on, no transition to becoming American. This isn't what immigration is supposed to be. The compact of immigration is that you do what's necessary in due time to become a functioning and contributing citizen of that country that allowed you entry. Not so with the current crop of illegal or even the legal immigrants . They just want a yob and to live their lives as if they were back in their native country. To allow this, as we apparently do, is nothing short of national suicide.. 

We are being invaded by people from foreign countries and our elected leaders want to make them citizens instead of repelling the invasion... 
corrupt politicians on both sides of the aisle are very close to achieving success. If Obama has his way the next president of the USA will be from Mexico.. 
Just think about the DHS solution on how to stop millions of illegals from flooding into America.... to allow millions of illegals to become U.S citizens..

StephAvery : "With no interest in education, culture, laws, language, customs, civic responsibility, nothing. Just yobs and living in ethnic enclaves within towns and cities" - just living in gated communities in the x-burbs and fearing everyone else who is not Anglo-Saxon and fitting their own discription of who is an American - nothing short of national suicide.

freshtake : Khadijah1: SHORT answer- NO. White Folks don't work for any amount of money where I live in California; The Southern San Joaquin Valley- home to the largest Ag producing counties in the Nation. My county alone produced 12BILLION in profits last year. California ag jobs pay far more than the minimum wage here- many up to $10-12 dollars per hour. If you doubt- I will invite you here then we can tour the fields and packing sheds and processing plants; been here since the 60s and so far you fantasy of "If we pay enough, Americans will take the jobs- just ain't so- dearie."

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Democratic lawmakers propose lawyers for immigrant children

WASHINGTON Mon Jun 23, 2014 4:26pm

- Democratic U.S. lawmakers announced legislation on Monday that would provide lawyers for thousands of undocumented minors streaming across the border into the United States, saying forcing children to face deportation proceedings alone goes against fundamental American values.

"It is a fantasy to believe that they have a fair shot in immigration proceedings without counsel," New York U.S. Representative Hakeem Jeffries told a news conference.

Jeffries and the other House of Representatives Democrats introducing the bill said as many as 40 to 50 percent of the undocumented children would have legitimate claims to remain in the United States under current law, citing studies by the United Nations and other agencies.

They also said their bill could save some $2 billion a year because timely immigration proceedings would eliminate the need to house thousands of children for months at a time.

From October to June 15, 52,000 unaccompanied children arrived on the U.S. border with Mexico, according to the Obama administration. Most are fleeing gang and drug violence in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

A similar provision to provide legal counsel for children and mentally impaired immigrants was included in a comprehensive immigration bill that passed the Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate last year. But the measure has stalled in the House, where Republicans hold a majority of seats.

There was no immediate indication that the new bill would make any more progress, given deep partisan divisions on the immigration issue in the United States.

Many Republicans blame the influx of undocumented children on Democratic President Barack Obama's 2012 decision to give temporary relief from deportation to some young people brought illegally to the United States by their parents.

"(These parents) have been led to believe that all their child has to do is get to America and they will receive amnesty," Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz said on Monday after touring a facility at Lackland Air Force Base to house unaccompanied minors, exposing children to "unspeakable horrors" as they travel through Mexico to the United States.

"The way to act to prevent that is to enforce our laws and stop engaging in the lawlessness that has so characterized the Obama administration," Cruz said.

The White House announced a plan on Friday to address the growing crisis that focused on expanding the government's ability to process and deport the children, with new funding to boost security in their home countries.

Democrats at the news conference on Monday said they considered Obama's plan just a first step.

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Feds: Immigrant center to expedite deportations

Posted on June 26, 2014 at 7:36 PM
ARTESIA, N.M. (AP) -- A detention center being opened in southeastern New Mexico to deal with the surge in women caught crossing illegally with children into the U.S. from Central America will be focused on deporting the immigrants quickly, officials said Thursday.

During a media tour of the austere barracks at a federal law enforcement training center turned immigration jail, a senior U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official said the goal is to process the immigrants and have them deported within 10 to 15 days to send a message back to their home countries that there are consequences for illegal immigration. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to talk publicly citing agency policy.

About a month ago, border patrol agents were suddenly overwhelmed by thousands of Central American immigrant children and women seeking to enter the U.S. Because officials had run out of room at holding facilities, they began releasing immigrant families and requiring them to report back within 15 days.

With this new facility, women found crossing with children will not be released, but held and quickly processed, a step toward returning the department to its policy of not releasing families and deporting those who don't have permission to enter the U.S. legally.

Artesia Mayor Phillip Burch said he was told by federal officials that the detention center will likely be in operation for six months to a year, although he thinks it could stay open longer than that.

Last week, the Obama administration announced plans to convert the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center into one of several temporary sites being established to deal with the influx of women and children fleeing gang violence and poverty in Central America.

Border Patrol agents have apprehended more than 52,000 immigrant children crossing the border alone since October.

President Barack Obama has called it a humanitarian crisis, warning parents of the dangers of sending children with smugglers.

"Do not send your children to the borders," he said in an interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos on Thursday. "If they do make it, they'll get sent back. More importantly, they may not make it."

The Artesia center will only house children caught traveling with their mothers or other female relatives. Unaccompanied minors will continue to be turned over to the Department of Health and Human Services.

The center will hold nearly 700 people in a barracks-style setting, with 30 rooms per building, four bunk beds per room. Each of the three buildings will have one room as playground and one for medical staff.

The buildings have a refrigerator that will be stocked with water, milk and fruit so the children will be able to eat whenever they want. There will be toys, video games and televisions for the kids. And once an 8-foot fence is erected, the children will be allowed to play outside. They may even build a soccer field, the official said.

Some have questioned the amenities, saying they will only encourage immigrants who are desperate for a better life to try to come back.

News of the detention center opening in Artesia has stirred up fear and anger among some residents who worry about possible illnesses, a lack of resources and dramatic changes to this small, close-knit city in the middle of oil and gas country.

Others criticized the federal government's response.

"What we should do is take them to the Air Force base, put them on a plane escorted by two fighter jets and send them back, and come back for the next group," said Collier Allan, 62, who lives near the training center.

Burch said some residents were worried about unvaccinated children and some immigrants possibly trying to escape. But he said federal doctors plan to evaluate all immigrants upon entry and then again 48 hours later to ease concerns over diseases.

The federal agency said all the immigrants will be checked for criminal records, and that the officers who will do the interviews are trained to identify criminals.

Asked if it felt like a new prison was opening up in the city, Burch said "to some degree."

"But the people here are women and children ages infant to 17. They are not hardened criminals," he said.
---
Associated Press writer Russell Contreras in Albuquerque, N. M., contributed to this report.

© 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

COMMENTS :

dirtbag1958 : GOOD!!! The Faster ICE DEPORT ALL illegal immigrants the BETTER OFF for UNITED STATES.

                          : now this IS A PHONEY SCANDAL !!
King Clutch:  ima-Ilis Myka Ashanti wrote:

now this IS A PHONEY SCANDAL !!

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Swiss referendum calls for introduction of immigration quotas

A referendum held in Switzerland has narrowly backed the introduction of tighter immigration controls. 50.3% of those who voted supported the introduction of the controls and, according to the Swiss system of direct democracy where referendums are binding, the controls must now be introduced. 

The result was announced on Sunday 9th February 2014. It came as a surprise because polls had predicted that the 'no' vote would win fairly comfortably. The vote was instigated by the right wing UDC party. The Swiss government and industry bodies had urged Swiss voters to vote against the motion.

The vote seems to have been split with voters in urban areas supporting the government's line while rural voters voted predominantly to limit immigration. The Swiss justice minister Simonetta Sommaruga told journalists 'This is a turning point, a change of system with far-reaching consequences for Switzerland'.

Swiss in breach of treaty with EU

Ms Sommaruga is right. The 'yes' victory raises the possibility that the European Union will introduce sanctions against the country because the new law will limit the freedom of EU citizens to live and work in Switzerland putting the Swiss in breach of a treaty with the EU.

Switzerland is not a member of the European Union but is surrounded on all sides by countries which are. Over 50% of its trade is done with the European Union and most of the 90,000 immigrants who enter Switzerland every year come from the EU.

Over one quarter of the population is now made up of immigrants, many of them EU nationals from Germany, France and Italy.

Switzerland in Schengen Area

Switzerland is even part of the EU's Schengen Area, an area comprising 27 countries which have abolished internal border controls.

The referendum vote will make it very difficult for the country to remain part of the Schengen Area as the Swiss would need to check passports at the border to ensure that those wishing to enter had the right to do so.

The European Commission's initial reaction was negative. A spokesman said that the EC 'regretted' the outcome and said 'this goes against the principle of free movement of people between the EU and Switzerland'.

'The single market is not a Swiss cheese'

By lunchtime on Monday 10th February, the European Commission response was becoming increasingly feisty. Vice-president of the Commission Viviane Reding told The Financial Times 'The Single Market is not a Swiss cheese. You cannot have a single market with holes in it'.

She told BBC Radio 4's Today breakfast program on 10th February 'you (Switzerland) cannot have pick and choose, because it is a package of seven agreements to give access to the internal market…it is a whole package they have signed up to'.

Martin Schulz, the president of the European Parliament had a similar message for the Swiss. He told journalists, 'one thing is clear: you can't take advantage of a big European internal market and stay outside [on] other questions at the same time. This is what we have to discuss with Switzerland now'.

'EU-Swiss relations come as a package'

Hannes Swoboda. An Austrian MEP who is the leader of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, told journalists 'For us (the European parliament) EU-Swiss relations come as a package.

If Switzerland suspends immigration from the EU, it will not be able to count on all the economic and trade benefits it is currently enjoying. We will not allow…cherry-picking'.

Even though the margin of victory could barely have been narrower, it is being seen as significant in many areas of Europe. Immigration is a big issue in many countries, not least in the UK where the Coalition government is trying to get the European Commission to agree to limit the free movement of people throughout the Union. Public disquietInterviewed on BBC Radio 4's lunchtime news programme The World at One, Yves Nidegger of the UDC said that the referendum result had been caused by public disquiet at the free movement agreement with the EU. He said that the agreement had been signed in 2006.

Since then, the population of Switzerland has grown by one million from 7m to 8m as the Swiss can no longer regulate its own population he said

Mr Nidegger said that the UDC had thought through its policy before calling for immigration quotas.
He said that he would expect senior figures in the European Union establishment to threaten sanctions but said that the policy against Switzerland would be up to the member states. He said that he thought that the British and Dutch in particular would support the Swiss. 'Dire consequences'He4 said that he thought that the reason why the European Commission had warned Switzerland of the apparent "dire consequences" of bringing in immigration quotas was to try to discourage further attempts to limit free movement within the EU.

He said 'I don't think that the whole ideal of free movement is going to die tomorrow but I think it (the referendum vote) will be welcomed as an opportunity to have some limits (on free movement).

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60,000 asylum seekers have reached EU in 2014

The EU's border agency Frontex says that a record number of asylum seekers have entered the EU by sea and on foot in 2014. So far, Frontex estimates the total at about 60,000.

The migrants have travelled via eight main migration routes, the most popular being the Central Mediterranean route which brings migrants by boat from North Africa to the Italian island of Lampadusa.

Frontex expects 2014 to be a record year. It reports that the number of migrants in the first half of the year is higher than it was in the previous record year, 2011. By the end of 2011, Frontex estimates that 140,000 people entered Europe along the eight informal migration routes.

Lampedusa

Frontex estimates that 25,650 entered the EU by sailing from Libya to Lampedusa. Lampedusa is Italian territory but lies some 200km south of Sicily and only 113km off the coast of Libya. Some 250,000 people have successfully travelled there.

The second most popular route is the eastern Mediterranean route which brings migrants through Turkey. They then make their way into the EU by various methods. Some may come by boat to the Greek Islands. Others will cross the Black Sea into Romania and Bulgaria. Frontex estimates that nearly 6,000 migrants have used this route so far in 2014.

The main routes are
Route Numbers
Central Mediterranean (Lampedusa) 25,650
Eastern Mediterranean (Turkey) 5,800
West Balkan (Croatia Serbia) 3,780
West Mediterranean (Spain) 2,650
Albania Greece 1,370
Apulia & Calabria 660
Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Belorussia) 194
West Africa (Canary Islands) 40

International law

International law requires that, once migrants arrive in a country, they should not be sent back before their asylum claim is investigated.

The Italian government says that the cost of policing Italian waters has risen enormously. Italy says that 39,000 people have reached Italy this year and the cost

The main reason for the upsurge is the continued violence in Syria. The Syrian civil war has continued for three years. Thousands have been killed and millions have been displaced. The UNHCR says that almost three million people have been displaced.

Syrian refugees

Many of these are living in camps in countries neighbouring Syria; Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq but, inevitably, some try to escape to find a better life. Reports from within Syria suggest that the country, long known for its beautiful, historic buildings, now lies in ruins. Even though there are some indications that the war may be entering its final phase, it is likely that there will be little to go back to for many of the refugees who have left their homes.

It is also likely that many will choose not to return to Syria to avoid being caught up in any operations the government may take to regain control if the war does end. Other migrants come from all over Asia and Africa, often from areas where there is poverty and/or war.

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Canadian working holiday visa numbers soar 2014

The number of young foreigners visiting Canada as part of the International Experience Canada (IEC) programme has risen sharply according to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). CIC says that it expects some 20,000 young people, aged between 18 and 35, to arrive in Canada with IEC visas in 2014.

International Experience Canada allows young people from 32 countries with relevant bilateral treaties with Canada to spend a year living and working in Canada (the minimum age is 18 and the maximum age is 30 for some countries and 35 for others). Applicants from the Republic of Ireland can stay for two years.

The recession which has continued in much of Europe since 2008 means that the scheme is particularly attractive for European applicants. CIC received 3,850 applications for IEC visas from Irish applicants within 11 minutes of beginning to accept applications on the evening of 13th March. There is similar demand among applicants from other European nations.

Visas made available in tranches

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) releases the visas for different countries in tranches on different days. So, for example, Ireland has a quota of 7,700 IEC visas. 3,850 were on offer on 13th March and a further 3,850 were made available on 1st April.

Canadian citizens are able to take similar working holidays in the 32 eligible countries but Canadian Unions say that three times as many foreign nationals come under the Canadian working holiday scheme than Canadians coming under similar schemes in other Countries.

This has led some in Canada to question the value of the program. Some critics have even suggested that the Canadian government is using the IEC program to allow cheap foreign labour into Canada.

Temporary Foreign Worker Program

Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) allows Canadian employers to employ foreign workers if they first obtain a Labour Market Opinion (LMO) which shows that there is no Canadian worker available to do the job.

Doug Parton, the Business Manager of the Ironworkers union Local 97 in British Columbia says 'This program (the IEC) circumvents the requirement for employers to prove there is a shortage of Canadian workers before hiring non-Canadians and also removes the requirement for employers to pay the prevailing wage rate for a particular job'.

Mr Parton continued 'It's a complete free for all and it's an attack on wages'.

'A wonderful opportunity'

Sanwar Ali of workpermit.com said 'the IEC provides a wonderful opportunity for young people from treaty countries to see Canada, one of the largest and most beautiful countries in the world.

There is also the possibility for working holidaymakers who work in a high-skilled job for the full duration of their IEC visa to qualify for a permanent residence visa under the Canadian Experience Class visa program. This is a marvellous opportunity for young people from treaty countries and provides Canada with the young skilled workers it needs to attract'.

The 32 countries which participate in International Experience Canada are

• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Chile
• Costa Rica
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hong Kong
• Ireland
• Italy
• Japan
• South Korea
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Mexico
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Poland
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Taiwan
• Ukraine
• United Kingdom

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Visti d’ingresso veloci per chi avvia startup innovative

È partito Italia Startup Visa, il programma del governo italiano per attrarre idee e investimenti. Servono un progetto convincente e 50 mila euro, domande online

Roma - 25 giugno 2014 –Si apre un canale privilegiato per l’arrivo in Italia degli imprenditori stranieri che vogliono avviare qui una start up innovativa: se il progetto è convincente e ci sono i soldi per realizzarlo il visto d’ingresso arriverà a tempi di record.

Ha preso il via ieri Italia Startup Visa, un programma del governo italiano per attirare idee, talenti e investimenti dall’estero. Tutto passa per il portale italiastartupvisa.mise.gov.it, attraverso il quale gli imprenditori stranieri possono presentare le domande a un comitato tecnico costituito presso il ministero dello sviluppo economico.

Il comitato esaminerà il curriculum e il progetto del richiedente, così come la disponibilità di risorse finanziarie dedicate alla sua realizzazione, che non dovranno essere inferiori a 50.000 euro. Dovrà esprimersi entro un mese, con una bocciatura o con un nulla osta all’ingresso. Questo arriverà in automatico se l’imprenditore ha già trovato in Italia un “incubatore certificato”, cioè un’azienda che sostiene e sviluppa le startup, disponibile ad accoglierlo.

Una volta ottenuto il nulla osta, il cittadino straniero potrà rivolgersi al nostro consolato nel suo Paese e, se dimostra che ha anche la disponibilità di un alloggio in Italia e un reddito superiore a quello per l’esenzione della spesa sanitaria (8400 euro), potrà ottenere “con ogni consentita speditezza” un visto di ingresso “per lavoro autonomo startup”. Una volta qui, avrà un permesso di soggiorno per lavoro autonomo.

“Italia Startup Visa è un ulteriore tassello della policy a favore delle startup innovative” ha detto il ministro dello Sviluppo Economico, Federica Guidi.“Uno strumento volto a incrementare la capacità di attrazione del nostro Paese approfittando della crescente mobilità delle intelligenze e degli imprenditori innovativi su scala globale”.

COMMENTS :

Giorgio Chavallier ·  Top Commenter

.....è una bella idea ma si guardiamo in piccolo ci sono delle proposte facile che non se riescono a fare qui con tutte le TASSE da pagare immaginiamoci cosa succederà con STARTUP. un esempio cosi banale ci sono Comuni che non rilasciano Autorizzazione per il KEBAK MOBIL.........

Rahim Ahmed

bouno idea per economia.

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