Simple equation

Canadian immigration is affected greatly by the political party in control at the time.  The Canadian government makes its policies according to what is appropriate for keeping Canada afloat and in a healthy economic state.  Each political party has a different view and idea of what is good for our country, Canada.

                Immigration is one aspect that is part of the political platforms during an election that is used to try and sway votes.  Seeing as how we are future social workers we should have an understanding of each ideology and how it affects our lives and the people we will be working with. 

  “Refugees and people needing protection are people in or outside Canada who fear returning to their home country. In keeping with its humanitarian tradition and international obligations, Canada provides protection to thousands of people every year (Canada, 2011).”  This quote was taken from the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website.  This is how Canada describes immigrants and refugees to the public.  I personally don’t believe that the Canadian government backs up that statement as much as most people would think.  Although this country appears to be extremely concerned with the safety and wellbeing of citizens from other countries, I do not think there are enough resources available to immigrants and refugees. 

Immigrants and refugees are both extremely important groups of people in Canadian society, not that you can organize all immigrants in to one common group, seeing as how everyone has their own unique and diverse story and background.  “Liberals view society as a complex whole or organism consisting of individuals interacting within numerous interdependent social systems such as the family, workplace and schools (Mullaly, 2007).”  These smaller systems sometimes become unbalanced and cause problems and stress amongst the whole.  Immigration being one of the smaller systems can upset the balance of the complex whole.  The government sets out a certain number of people that are allowed to immigrate and take refuge in Canada per year.  Liberals like to keep society at equilibrium and they do this by reforming and adjusting the smaller systems.  It is unfair that these are the factors that immigration numbers rely on.  Immigration numbers should be based on how many people we can accommodate and protect.  If people need refuge from another country and are living in unsafe conditions Canada should adapt the system to allow it to help these people.  Canada should be concerned with helping the people in need.

Serena

Works Cited

Canada, C. a. (2011, August 18). Refugees. Retrieved november 22, 2011, from Citizenship and Immigration Canada: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/refugees/index.asp

Mullaly, B. (2007). The New Structural Social Work. Canada: Oxford University Press.

               

           The Canadian immigration policy is designed so that it lets in people that will boost the economy and will be assets to Canada. The conservatives are not the most supportive of immigration even though they are all about a healthy economy. In 2010 the conservative government changed the legislation that provided protection for people with refugee status.  “A key element of the proposed reform is the ability to deport individuals more quickly when their claims for asylum are denied (Przygoda, 2010, p.39). So if an officer thinks that a refugees claim does not meet the required criteria, the refugee or immigrant can be deported to their home country right away. Refugees can be separated into two groups. Convention refugees, who are people that cannot return to their home land due to oppression against race, religion, political opinion, nationality, membership of a particular social group and sexual orientation. Or they need to be identified as a person in need of protection, that may have risks to their life, danger of torture etc if they return to their country. Even though most refugees are from poverty stricken , terrible conditions, the conservatives still voted to have them deported quickly if their claims were not approved.

            “Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s news release and the subsequent news coverage of the issue openly played into public anxieties about immigrants taking advantage of the refugee protection system and costing Canadian taxpayers thousands of dollars in social service and health care costs”  (Przygoda, 2010, p.39). Conservatives are concerned that all their hard earned money is used to support immigrants and refugees that Canada takes in but as an immigrant myself, I know that immigration is an expensive process. There are high processing fees, landing fees and they ask you to bring large sums of cash when you arrive in Canada. So I personally feel that the money spent on supporting immigrants after they move to Canada, has mostly been paid by the immigrant themselves.

            “Neo-conservatives have blamed much of the economic crisis on the welfare state” (Mullaly, 2007, p.73). Even though most immigrants have an education and job experience, sometimes they too need to depend on the welfare system. Moving to a different country is not an easy task and it comes with many hardships. Conservatives group immigrants into two categories. Good immigrant and bad immigrant. The good immigrant is the educated, hard working person that sees living in Canada as a blessing. The bad immigrant is the person that falsely tries to seek refugee status, lives off welfare and does not want to adapt to Canadian culture (Przygoda, 2010, p.39).

            Ley wrote “One of the initial indicators of the transition to an economically guided policy was the creation of the investor or business class as a subset of the larger ‘‘skilled’’ category. In 1986, Canada created a separate—and significantly more lenient—point system for entrepreneurs and investors”. Harrison wrote, “These actions were driven by the government’s desire to attract affluent migrants leaving Hong Kong and to ‘‘bring more millionaires to Canada’’ (as cited in Walsh, 2008, p.800). Even though the immigration policies have these “skilled worker” categories and makes people think that having education can land them a job in the same field, this is not always the case. Many of these “skilled” workers come to Canada and end up working for minimum wage and face many barriers in employment. “In a country founded by immigrants who claimed rights to a land that wasn’t theirs, Canadians are hardly in a position to feel entitled to set the house rules about who gets to enjoy the privileges of life in Canada and who doesn’t (Przygoda, 2010, p.39).  I think this statement says it all, when you are living in a land that is not rightfully yours can you point fingers at others and ask them to leave?

-Iresha

References

Przygoda, A. (2010). Cashing in on the border: the Ugly economic calculations driving immigration policy in Canada. Briarpatch , 39.

Walsh, J. (2008). Navigating Globalization: Immigration Policy in Canada and Australia 1945-2007. Sociological Forum , 786-813.

            

           Mullaly, B. (2007). The New Structural Social Work. Canada: Oxford University Press.

Older Immigrants: Losing Independence

As a result of the baby-boom generation and low birth rates, Canada’s population has been growing older (Ward & Belanger, 2011). By this I mean that there are now much more elderly people than ever before. The number of immigrants in Canada is also on the rise and thus, the amount of aging immigrants has also been increasing.  In fact, due to its emphasis on family reunification, immigration policies in are now letting Canadians sponsor elderly relatives to reside in Canada as immigrants (Boyd & Vickers, 2000). One study even found that almost half of the recent immigrants aged 65 and older live with their family members (Ward & Belanger, 2011). However, having lived in their country of origin for more than half of their lives, adjusting to a brand new country, such as Canada, definitely poses many conflicts in their daily lives.

Even though they are reunited with their families when they come to Canada, older immigrants must still go through a lot of changes in their lifestyle. They must leave behind “familiar attitudes toward seniors and customary ways of life”. Despite of this, many elderly immigrants, especially parents coming to live with their children, feel very strong conflicts between cultural expectations and their responsibilities to their children (Ward & Belanger, 2011). Thus, many of them try to find work to help support themselves as well as their family. Sadly this may be very difficult, as these immigrants are at (or almost at) the age of retirement.  On the contrary, if they do happen find work, older immigrants most likely won’t be able to work long enough to receive a pension plan that will support them throughout the rest of their lives; some haven’t even lived in Canada long enough yet to qualify for basic old age security benefits (Boyd & Vickers, 2000).

 The fact that older immigrants cannot take care of themselves financially means that they have to become dependent on their family so that their needs can be appropriately met. However, according to Ward & Belanger (2007), one of the key areas of conflict between older people and their family members is independence versus dependence. In fact, it is believed that their life satisfaction depends on how much control they have over their own lives. Unfortunately, recent elderly immigrants do not have a lot of control. Because these elderly immigrants come to Canada so late in life, it may be more difficult for them to learn a new language and be independent enough to go out and do things for themselves. This prevents them from creating new social networks and interacting with others besides the people in their family. There are nursing homes meant for specific ethnic groups that do exist to help older immigrants reconnect with their culture, but the waiting list may be very long.  Consequently, this constant need to depend on others could lead to feelings of loss and isolation because “the more assistance [an older immigrant] needs, the more independence and decision-making power are given up” (Ward & Belanger, 2011).

The loss of independence many older immigrants experience when migrating to Canada obviously causes them to be dissatisfied with their lives. As a result, many older immigrants leave Canada and return to their country of origin by age 75 (Boyd & Vickers, 2000). Although there are resources for the elderly in general, Canada needs to find more ways to do more for the elderly who have recently arrived in Canada. Without these resources, they will not be given a chance to really experience how lucky they are to be living in Canada.  After all, how can a person, especially one who is of age, enjoy the remainder of their lives if they feel like they can’t choose how to live it?

               

-          Adrienne A.

Reference List:

Boyd, M. & Vickers, M. (2000). Elderly immigrants. Canadian Social Trends, pg. 5. Retrieved on November 23, 2011: http://proxycheck.lib.umanitoba.ca.proxy1.lib.umanitoba.ca/libraries/online/proxy.php?http://proquest.umi.com.proxy1.lib.umanitoba.ca/pqdweb?did=631086551&Fmt=2&clientId=12305&RQT=309&VName=PQD

Ward, M. & Belanger, M. (2011). Grey Power and the Sunset Years. The Family Dynamic: A Canadian Perspective (5^th ed.) (pp. 195-216). United States: Nelson Education Ltd. 

Come one, come all (only if your in good physical condition)

Every citizen of every country has their own unique and individual difficulties to overcome.  High school can be a cruel place for all teenagers to begin with, so having to deal with the hardships of a physical disability going through high school would be harder then we can imagine. 

                While I was in high school an individual in my life discovered that she had a disease called Lupus.  “Lupus is a long-term autoimmune disorder that may affect the skin, joints, kidneys, brain, and other organs (Makover, 2011).”  This disease has caused the individual a tremendous amount of various health problems such as a brain aneurism, a stroke and seizures.  The stroke resulted in this woman acquiring a physical disability.  Acquiring this disability caused her to worry deeply of the way it will affect her life and how the relationships and privilege she already has.  She has made almost a full recovery and has her lupus under control but still has to worry about issues regarding employment and other things.  Since this all struck when she was still in high school and only working part time she does not receive employment insurance because she had not been working enough hours at the time.  Although the government offers a small form of compensation, it is not enough for her to live on.                  

The individual’s parents immigrated to Canada from overseas for the birth of their daughter.  My concern is that if they had chosen to immigrate to Canada later on in life, after this happened to this individual, would they still be approved to immigrate here?  If the government is considering a physical disability a justified reason to deny someone access to immigrate to Canada, what other excuses have they come up with?

Canada has been known to refuse landed immigrant status to families because a child in the family has a disability and will put stress on the Canadian health care and social welfare systems.  Although it is understandable for Canada to be protective of its assets, is it understandable for Canada to judge people by something they cannot change?  I believe it is not.  It is not okay for Canada to pick and choose who deserves a chance at a better life.  If a refugee is trying to flee their home country because of dangerous or harmful conditions, it is a possibility that they could become harmed in the process.  If a physical disability is now another burden the refugee must face it is not fair to risk causing them more harm by sending them back to the country where they were harmed in the first place.  It is extremely unsettling how the Canadian government holds so many people’s lives at their fingertips (Rowe, July 31, 2001).

Serena

Works Cited

Makover, M. E. (2011, February 14). Systemic lupus erythematosus. Retrieved November 22, 2011, from PubMed Health: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001471/

Rowe, M. (July 31, 2001). Immigration policy callous, ignorant; [Final Edition]. The Star Pheonix, 1.

Help is on the way!!

No matter what reason you are coming to Canada, whether it is to escape war tone country or just because you want a change, you will experience some struggles and stresses. It is a natural thing because you are putting yourself through a major life change. Now, think about coming to a new country while you are also facing mental health issues. This is especially a problem when the country you are fleeing to does not provide you with the services you need.

When a refugee comes to Canada or any other new country they face many challenges. I am only assuming this, but they are probably already under a lot of stress and have experienced some difficulties or even trauma’s in their country of origin. According to TheFreeDictionary, a Refugee has fled their country of origin due to “war or political oppression or religious persecution.” Like I stated above, one can only assume that because of this they are already under great stress. Stress can lead to many different health problems if it gets to be too much. It is stated that, “some people develop depression after a stressful event in their lives” (Price-Evans, 2011). This can be referred to as post-traumatic stress and is considered a mental illness. This is something that many refugees are at risk of suffering from. There are also many refugees who may come to Canada already experiencing some form of mental illness. What Canada now wants to do is develop better services and supports for people with mental health problems and illnesses across the lifespan (McKenzie et al, 2009). This new development is meant for all people with mental health problems, but there is a specific focus on mental illnesses in what they refer to as IRER groups (immigrant, refugee, ethno-cultural and racialized). They have 5 groups of action to improve mental health services for IRER groups which are:  

1) Changed focus – an increased emphasis on prevention and promotion

2) Improvement within services – organisational and individual cultural competence

3) Improved diversity of treatment – diversity of providers, evaluation of treatment options

4) Linguistic competence – improved communication plans and actions to meet Canada‟s diverse needs

5) Needs linked to expertise – plans to offer support by people and services with expertise to areas with lower IRER populations so they can offer high quality care (McKenzie et al, 2009)

With these new developments occurring, hopefully the amount immigrants, refugees,

ethno-cultural and racialized people with mental health problems will decrease. I believe this is a fantastic program that looks like it will be successful and beneficial to many people in our society. Coming to a new country, especially after leaving hardships can be very overwhelming and hard on people so anything to make their transition an easier one, regardless of whether or not they suffer from a mental health issue, is a good idea in my mind.

-          Michal B.

References:

Price-Evans, P. (2011). Stress and Depression. All About Depression: Home Page. Retrieved November 14, 2011, from http://www.allaboutdepression.com/gen

McKenzie, K., Hansson, E., Tuck, A., Lam, J., & Jackson, F. (2009, November 12). Improving mental health services for immigrant, refugee, ethno-cultural and racialized groups. Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Retrieved November 11, 2011, from www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/Key_Documents/en/2010/Issues_Options_FINAL_English%2012Nov09.pdf

Are canadians prejudice against disabled immigrants?

Applying to move to a different country comes with many financial and emotional burdens but what happens when they reject your visa application due to your disabled child? I feel that within Canada, people with physical disabilities are shown high levels of equality. But when you reject someone’s application because they have a physical or mental disability, is that not discrimination? “Canada shuns immigrants with disabilities. Our government rejects newcomers with disabilities who it foresees will be costly to Canada” (White, 2010, p.18). We teach our children to be accepting of people with disabilities, we build buildings that our accessible, public transportation that they can use etc. While making Canada a place where the disabled have equal opportunity, the government in turn refuses entry to disabled people.

            A person with a disability is not even eligible to apply but if they are a dependent their parents have the chance of applying. Only to have their application rejected because of their disabled child that they love just as same as any other child. This causes a lot of strain on families that are already dealing with the stress that accompanies caring for a disabled child. It also makes the child feel at fault. The reason the government declines immigration rights to families with disabled children is because they believe they will cause excessive strain on Canada’s heath system and social services.

             There have been many court cases where families have filed charges against visa officers. There is website on these case commentaries that tell us what the rulings are. The case of Gau v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) on October 23, 2006 says that even though the family was willing to accept the financial burden of tending to their disabled daughter’s medical needs, their immigration was still denied.

The parents of these disabled children have been fighting back and due to all these court cases there seems to be some progress made. “It seems somewhat incongruous to interpret the legislation in such a way that they very assets that qualify these individuals for admission to Canada can simultaneously be ignored in determining the admissibility of their disabled children” (Annonymous, 2005, p.1). So they seem to be taking into consideration that it is unfair to turn away immigrants who maybe doctors or lawyers just because they have a disabled child.

“Based on a medical model of disability that is rooted in prejudices and stereotypes about persons with disabilities that reinforces their historical marginalization and exclusions” (Annonymous, 2005, p.1). So there are a few people that believe that people with disabilities need to be given a second chance and it has been ruled that each case needs individual attention. But in reality are disabled applicants seen through the same lens as every body else?

-Iresha

References

Annonymous. (2005). Immigration applicants with disabilities must be assessed individually. Community Action , 1-7.

White, M. (2010, February 24) Unwelcome Burden? The Globe and Mail, A.18.  Retrieved from:

 http://search.proquest.com.proxy2.lib.umanitoba.ca/docview/382587792/fulltext?accountid=14569

Disabilities Aren't Welcome Here, Sorry.

In this entry I’d like to share with you how certain Immigration policies in Canada can be flawed when it comes to the topic of persons with physical (or mental) disabilities. First, people with disabilities are “not seen as potential contributors to the economic life of Canada and they are less likely to be considered preferred applicants” (El-Lahib & Wehbi, 2012, p. 99). They are also assumed to be “too costly to be granted entry because they are seen to be an economic burden on medical and social services” (El-Lahib & Wehbi, 2012, p. 99). 

In a study conducted by Bruce Newbold (2009) on the short-term health of Canada’s new immigrant arrivals concludes that the health status of new arrivals declines within as little as two years post -arrival (p. 321). This decline in health can be partially attributed to lack of adequate medical care but the point I’m trying to make is that if a healthy immigrant or refugee can’t maintain their health for two years post-arrival, how is an immigrant or refugee with a disability supposed to? I think this is the angle the Canadian Government is coming from when they’re determining whether a person is eligible to immigrate to Canada or become a refugee. However, I’m not sure these same views should apply to a person who has immigrated to Canada and acquired a disability years after. 

Mullaly (2007) categorizes oppression into five separate groups and I believe that this issue would fall into the category of marginalization (p. 266). Marginalization is defined as certain minority groups being pushed to the margins of society because the labour market cannot or will not accommodate them (Mullaly, 2007, p. 266). Mullaly (2007) also goes on to say that people who rely on Welfare (i.e people with disabilities) are treated with punitive, demeaning and patronizing policies and regulations which interfere with their basic rights to privacy and respect (p. 266). Everyone is aware that immigrants and refugees are a marginalized group in Canada, so does that mean immigrants and refugees with disabilities are double-marginalized? These points that Mullaly made are clearly observed when looking at the way the Government treats Immigrants who acquire disabilities while living in Canada.

For example, lets look at the case of Chris Mason. Chris is a former Winnipegger who arrived in Canada in 2001 on a workers Visa. In 2001 Chris lost the use of his legs in an accident while on the job as a truck driver. Chris continued to work as a dispatcher for a truck company until he was further injured in 2007 after getting hit by a taxi. From 2007 until 2009 Chris had been living on social assistance in Winnipeg with an expired Visa. In 2009 After Chris’ application to remain in Canada on humanitarian and compassionate grounds was turned down he was deported back to Manchester. Chris was temporarily put into a seniors home after arriving in Manchester but technically he was homeless because he had no money and nowhere to live (CBC News, 2009).

I understand that Canada is not willing to allow physically or mentally ill persons to immigrate here for economic reasons (not saying I agree). What I don’t understand is how it’s right for the government to deport immigrants who have lived here for years because they have become an “economic burden” after becoming physically or mentally ill. I think that if a person has been allowed to immigrate to Canada (on any kind of Visa) it is the governments responsibility to treat them like any other citizen of Canada.

-Yodit D

References:

CBC News World. (2009, January 20). Deported, disabled U.K. citizen arrives in Britain. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2009/01/20/mason-uk.html

El-Lahib, Y. & Wehbi, S. (2012). Immigration and disability: Ableismin the policies of the Canadian state. International Social Work, 55, 95 - 108

Mullaly, B. (2007). The New Structural Social Work (3rd ed.). Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press Canada.

Newbold, B. (2009). The short-term health of Canada’s new immigrant arrivals: evidence from LSIC. Ethnicity & Health, 14, 315 - 336. 

Older Used to Mean Wiser

When people immigrate to Canada, they leave behind many family members. Since ancient times, the family has been one of the most important units in society. Families are made up of people big and small, young and old. When some family members are left behind they create an empty hole in the family network and it never feels the same again. There are rules in Canada’s immigration policy that only lets certain family members immigrate. In this blog I will be talking about older family members that have a very bleak chance in reuniting with their family of origin.  

In Canada’s immigration policy there are different categories of application but not every one falls into these categories. Skilled worker, family class, business class and self employed class are some of them. If you do not fit the criteria in any of these categories there really is no other way to immigrate to Canada. This leaves older persons with very little hope.

            The family class will allow permanent residents to sponsor parents and grandparents but no other older relative. “During the past decade, the numbers of parents and grandparents that Canada admitted in the family class has fluctuated, but overall, declined substantially” (McLaren, 2006, p.34). So even older people that are allowed to immigrate under the family class are having a lesser chance of being accepted.

“ Rather than providing a neutral measurement of immigrant eligibility, the point systems’s reliance on human capital theory rests on a market-based definition of immigrant ‘value’ that legitimates social exclusions”  (McLaren, 2006, p.35). As McLaren explains, the immigration policies are designed for people with high education, job experience and skills that will bring higher economic benefits to the country that they are immigrating to. There fore they see older persons as frail and being a societal burden rather than an investment. Even if older people have educations and the qualifications to apply under the skilled worker category, there is a age limit and if they are above it they cannot apply. Therefore we can come to the conclusion that immigration policies just aren’t made for older people and that reuniting families is not its main priority.  


-Iresha

References

McLaren, A. T. (2006). IMMIGRATION AND PARENTAL SPONSORSHIP IN CANADA: Implications for Elderly Women . Canadian Issues , 34-37.

Mental illness: Consequence of immigration?

 

Packing up your entire life into a few suitcases and moving to a foreign land is not something everyone has experienced. There are many stressors that are involved in moving to a new country. Buying a house and finding a job are usually on the top of on an immigrant’s to do list. I moved to Canada four years ago, leaving behind the home I grew up in, my extended family, my high school friends, my boyfriend and my dog. These were things that gave me a sense of belonging and had shaped me into the person I was. Leaving all this behind and moving to a country that I have never been to was probably one of the bravest things I have ever done. I landed in Canada mid December (with no winter jacket) even braver. This can be a stressful journey. Literally, if you are from a far little island called Sri lanka, like I am.

There were a lot of overwhelming new experiences. The entire city was covered in snow, people did things differently, even the high school was completely different from what I was used to. It’s then that I realized the true meaning of the term “culture shock”. “For the immigrants the separation from their roots, culture, social ties and the taken for granted pattern of daily life is a traumatic separation” (Bar-Yosef, 2001, p.231). Immigration affects the entire family system. Family members have to change their roles in order to adapt to the new life style and cultural norms. This can be very stressful, especially on parents. If they are from a very traditional country that has strict beliefs, it puts a lot of pressure upon the parents to continue these values and upon the children to balance these values and the values of the current society. They are emotionally torn apart by conflicting values in Canada’s multi cultural society.

Beiser wrote that “For many immigrants, resettlement stresses such as discrimination and underemployment experienced after arrival in Canada add substantially to the risks of experiencing psychological distress” (as cited in Simich, 2010, p.19). Stressors involving resettlement could also include language barriers, social isolation, low social and economic status. “Refugees have acute unmet needs for mental health care because of traumatic pre-migration experiences” (Simich, 2010, p.19). Refugees on the other hand sometimes come into this country suffering from a mental illness. Post traumatic stress disorder is a common illness that can be seen among refugees. Immigrants and refugees could also not be informed about the health services available to them or there could be language barriers that prevent them from seeking help. I think that immigrants and refugees are a vulnerable population that is susceptible to mental illness and their lives contain far more risk factors then the average Canadian.

-Iresha

References

Bar-Yosef, R. W. (2001). Children of two cultures: Immigrant children from Ethiopia in Israel. Journal of Comparative Family Studies , 231-246.

Simich, L. (2010). HEALTH LITERACY, IMMIGRANTS AND MENTAL HEALTH1. Canadian Issues , 17-22.  

I Have a Physical Disability...Can I Still Come?

            Upon entering a new country, Immigrants may feel many different struggles in order to adapt to their new environments. Sometimes, Immigrants are not treated like they are equal members of their new society and therefore it becomes very hard for them. This may be seen as a form of marginalization which Wikipedia defines as “the social process of becoming or being made marginal or relegated to the fringe of society.” Mullaly (2007) states that, “marginalization affects primarily people of colour, old and young persons, many single mothers and their children, and physically and mentally disabled people.” In this post, I will be focusing on the struggles of immigrants with physical disabilities.

            CanadaVisa states that people wanting to immigrate to Canada are required to have standard physical examinations before they are welcomed into the country. The applicants may be denied a Visa if their examination shows a condition that would endanger the health of Canadian citizens or their admission would cause extreme demand on the social and health services provided already by the Government. Canada’s policy with regard to immigrants who have mental or physical disabilities is still evolving, but in the past they were most of the time, not admitted into the country. This was to ensure that the proper “character” of immigrants was coming into Canada (Chadha, 2008). I personally find this extremely discriminatory and just plain rude. Although this was in the past and new regulations about physically disabled immigrants are being made, I do not think someone with a physical disability should be denied admission into a new country. For many immigrants, they are leaving they birth countries because of even worse conditions they would face in Canada. One of these reasons for a person living with a disability could be that Canada may offer them more resources to help them with their disability. How can we deny them admission if Canada is what will help change their quality of life?

            I think more consideration needs to take place for immigrants who want to come to Canada and have physical disabilities. Although they may not be able to work, due to their conditions, it does not mean they will not be productive and capable members of society.

- Michal B.

References:

Mullaly, R. (2007). The New Structural Social Work (3^{rd ed.).} Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press Canada.

Chadha, E. (2008). 'Mentally Defectives' Not Welcome: Mental Disability in Canadian Immigration Law, 1859-1927 | Chadha | Disability Studies Quarterly. Disability Studies Quarterly. Retrieved November 17, 2011, from http://dsq-sds.org/article/view/67/67