CANADA: Prime Minister Stephen Harper has introduced controversial reforms to Canada’s immigration laws, intended to fast-track sorely needed skilled workers into the country. The changes would place highly coveted immigrants — like doctors or other skilled labourers — on the fast track. But while their papers would get processed quickly, other immigrants would be forced to wait behind them in the queue. The Government would be allowed to set annual limits on the number of applications Canada processes. The changes have been denounced as mean-spirited and anti-immigrant by opposition parties.

According to the Federal Immigration Department, there are about 900,000 people in line to get into Canada, of which roughly 250,000 are accepted as permanent residents any given year. Among those annually accepted, roughly 135,000 are skilled workers, the remainder are made up of refugees and relatives of families already in the country.

FRANCE: President Nicolas Sarkozy took office last year promising to be tough on illegal immigration and immediately set the police targets for expulsions of anyone staying without authorisation. Last July, employers were told they had to check with local administration offices to make sure that their staff had all the documents they needed to be working in France. This led some firms to lay off staff. However, last week, France’s hoteliers and restaurant owners warned the Government that the tourism industry faced a disaster unless it agreed to give work permits to hundreds of illegal immigrants who operate in the sector. Up to 500 immigrants working across a range of industries held a strike — the first of its kind — last fortnight to demand that the Government relax laws preventing them from getting residency in France. French Immigration Minister recently went on a tour of EU capitals to prepare the ground for a “European immigration pact”, to be endorsed by heads of state at a summit in October.

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