Post-WWII (Human Rights)

Arrival of Displaced Persons in Canada 1945-1951

katherine — Fri, 17 May 2024 13:47:59 +0000

Arrival of Displaced Persons in Canada 1945-1951 katherine Fri, 05/17/2024 - 10:47

Arrival of Displaced Persons in Canada 1945-1951

This Parks Canada publication discusses the time period of 1945–1951 (following the Second World War) where over 157,000 refugees came to Canada and were often referred to as 'displaced persons' due to the war.
This marked a major change in Canada's immigration policy and history, and the influx of refugees has greatly contributed to the multi-cultural diversity in Canada today.
Of the refugees, the majority came from Poland and Ukraine, however, there was a significant amount of Holocaust survivors, Jews, Croatians, Czechoslovakians, Estonians, Hungarians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Romanians, and Yugoslavians.
This publication gives some background regarding the reasons these refugees came to Canada, how they helped transform Canadian immigration policies and practices, the hard-work and struggle faced by these refugees, and how they positively influenced Canada.

Citation

Canada. Parks Canada. The Arrival of Displaced Persons in Canada, 1945-1951. Last modified February 15, 2015; accessed July 18, 2022. https://www.canada.ca/en/parks-canada/news/2016/02/the-arrival-of-displaced-persons-in-canada-1945-1951.html

Overlapping Topics

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship

Policy Sub-Topic

Post-WWII (Human Rights)

Policy Type

Memorandum

Amending Canada's Immigration Policy Post-WWII

katherine — Fri, 17 May 2024 13:45:31 +0000

Amending Canada's Immigration Policy Post-WWII katherine Fri, 05/17/2024 - 10:45

Amending Canada's Immigration Policy Post-WWII

Order-in-Council P.C. 2071, along with other policies, and mounting political pressure and recommendations led to the amendment of Canada's immigration policy, which was announced by Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King in the House of Commons on May 1, 1947.
This is the official record of the Prime Minister's declaration of the new amendments to Canada's immigration policy, which helped shift Canadian law and opinions towards immigrants and refugees.
This policy change was especially meaningful to Jews at this time as the new policy allowed European Jewish refugees to enter Canada through 'close relatives' and 'labour' provisions.
Despite sounding somewhat progressive at the time, Prime Minister King's speech also sought to appease Canadians who were still doubtful of immigration by ensuring the number of immigrants would be related to the "absorptive capacity" of the economy (i.e. enough immigrants to meet labour shortages but not enough to disrupt the Canadian labour markets).
However, despite some hope presented by this change in policy, many immigrants were still heavily discriminated against, especially non-white immigrants from outside of Europe, particularly Chinese immigrants.
In PM King's speech he highlights that the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923 would be repealed, but made it clear that there would not be any large-scale immigration from Asia.
As a result, only Chinese residents of Canada who were not already citizens could apply for naturalization and once naturalized, they could bring their wives and unmarried children (under 18) over to Canada.
He reinforced Canada's right to discriminate which immigrants it accepts in order not to alter the 'character' of Canada's population.

Citation

Canada. Parliament. House of Commons Debates. Immigration: Statement of Prime Minister as to Canada's Policy. 20th Parliament, 3rd sess., vol 3. May 1, 1947 (William Lyon Mackenzie King, Prime Minister; President of the Privy Council, Liberal). Accessed on July 27, 2022. https://www.lipad.ca/full/1947/05/01/1/

Overlapping Topics

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship

Policy Sub-Topic

Post-WWII (Human Rights)

Policy Type

Hansard

Canada Expanding Immigration Laws for Displaced Persons after WWII

katherine — Fri, 17 May 2024 13:41:38 +0000

Canada Expanding Immigration Laws for Displaced Persons after WWII katherine Fri, 05/17/2024 - 10:41

Canada Expanding Immigration Laws for Displaced Persons after WWII

Following the Second World War, Canada's immigration policy slowly began liberalizing and attitudes towards Jewish and Chinese immigration began to shift as well.
The first steps towards immigration liberalization policy in the post-war period was Order-in-Council P.C. 2071.
This policy, as outlined by James Allison Glen (Minister of Mines and Resources at the time) in the May 29, 1946, extended the classes admissible on the basis of relationship to Canadian residents, which was first degree relatives in Europe and orphaned nieces and nephews under the age of 16.

Citation

Canada. Parliament. House of Commons Debates. Report of Committee: Immigration: Additions to Admissible Classes-Travel Document for Displaced Persons. 20th Parliament, 2nd sess., vol 2. May 29, 1946 (James Allison Glen, Minister of Mines and Resources, Liberal). Accessed on July 27, 2022. https://www.lipad.ca/full/1946/05/29/1/

Overlapping Topics

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship

Policy Sub-Topic

Post-WWII (Human Rights)

Policy Type

Committee Report