Vancouver city councillors urge protection of family reunification program

by Yolande Cole on March 4th, 2011 at 12:09 PM

Vancouver city councillors voted Thursday (March 4) to urge the federal government not to make cuts to family reunification visas.

A motion by Vision Vancouver councillor Geoff Meggs to call on Ottawa, through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, to maintain family reunification visas at least at current levels was passed by council despite a vote of opposition from NPA councillor Suzanne Anton, who argued the numbers referenced in the motion weren’t accurate.

Meggs’ call was based on information made public by Vancouver immigration lawyer Richard Kurland last month. Kurland said internal documents showed the federal government was planning to reduce the number of family reunification visas for parents and grandparents.

Anton said while she supports the family reunification program, she argued the federal government is not planning to reduce family class visas. According to a letter from federal immigration minister Jason Kenney sent to city councillors, this year’s planning range for all family members and dependent children is 58,500 to 65,500.

Braeden Caley, who delivered a statement to council on behalf of Vancouver-South MP Ujjal Dosanjh, said immigration documents show a fall in family class visas every year since 2006.

“Overall, family class visas as a whole from fallen from 70,517 issued in 2006 to 60,207 issued in 2010,” he said. “A family class target range in 2008 was 68,000 to 71,000 and in 2011 it has now fallen to 58,500 to 65,000.”

During debate on the motion, councillors expressed support for increasing family reunification visa approvals.

“I think we have a duty and a responsibility to represent all of the families that are potentially impacted by the government adjusting these numbers and leaving thousands and thousands of people in limbo,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. "I think this is an important statement for us to make as a council on behalf of the many immigrant families in our city."

Comments

4 Comments

Ken Lawson

Mar 4, 2011 at 1:50pm

No bloody way Meggs keep your g.d. nose out of federal politics your only a lowly Vancouver councillor with the hated Vision Vancouver Mayor and Council that has to go, put your nose where it should be, your type a personality has gone beyond your mandate, Fool
Conservative Reform

Bruno15

Mar 4, 2011 at 3:58pm

Voters of Vancouver urge protection reunification of Vision Vancouver Councellors with unemployemnt line in November

Alejandra

Mar 4, 2011 at 6:09pm

Immigrants shouldn’t vote for Conservatives. They will destroy you. Here is a good reason:
While other parties were in the government, my mother visited me 6 times without a problem so did my nephew when he was 18 yrs old and wanted to come to Canada to ski (he stay a month and went back to his country where he has his mom, dad and brothers).
This year I invited his brother who is 12 years old (as a birthday present) and Immigration Canada rejected the visa request with just an unintelligent excuse, saying that the 12 yrs old was planning to stay in Canada!!! and also that they couldn’t prove the family ties”¦ that’s a joke!!! When I came to live in Canada, immigration got all my family information, full name of the member of my family, including my sibling names. One of those siblings is my sister who is the mother of the nephew I invited. Also they said they couldn’t prove the financial situation of his parents”¦ We never said that they were going to pay for the trip or stay and I specified in my invitation letter that all the expenses were going to be covered by me (I attached a job letter) and they never call nor they asked for anything else to prove my financial situation which is good.
They have the current address where my nephew is living with his mom, dad and brother and the servants in the MOST EXCLUSIVE gated community in Samborondon, Guayaquil, Ecuador (just few meters from Noboa’s residence in Samborondon) and assisting to Torremar which is a private school, one of the best. As this was a present for my nephew they didn’t need financial proof of the parents, as I was fully responsible for the expenses and with more than $47,000 in the bank should suffice for 2 weeks stay”¦ or not???
They didn’t have good fundaments to reject the visa, they didn’t want him to come to visit (who wants to come in winter!!!). I can't believe that they think that a 12 yrs old will leave his parents and "good" life to come to live here!! what a nonsense!!!!. The Conservatives are against family ties and DON”T like immigrant to have the right to receive visitors. A criminal in Canada has more rights than a good citizen as criminal have the right to receive visitor while in jail.