Kenney Repeating Komagata Maru And Chinese Exclusion Act Of 1923, Say Punjab-Based Group Affected By His Decision To Scrap More Than 300,000 Applications

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The group called themselves ‘The Canadian Back Loggers Pre 2008 Association’ says Immigration Miister Jason Kenney unfairly legislating away of PR applications, which were submitted as early as 2004.

CHANDIGARH – “Hai, Hai Kenney, Down With Kenney”, were the slogans being shouted against Immigration Minister Jason Kenney by a large crowd in Punjab calling themselves ‘The Canadian Back Loggers Pre 2008 Association’, who said Kenney was repeating the history of ‘Komagata Maru’ and the ‘Chinese Exclusion Act of 1923’ Kenney introduced a proposal to retrospectively scrap all the immigration applications that were filed before 27th February 2008.

“The history of ‘Komagata Maru’ and the ‘Chinese Exclusion Act of 1923’ is being repeated once again by the Canadian Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism,” the group said in a press release.

More than 300,000 applied under Federal Skilled worker category as early as 2004. Kenney’s proposal if implemented would crash the plans and dreams of millions of families world over who sought to make a new home in Canada, a major part of which comprises of Indians patiently waiting for their turn for the last eight years.

“‘The Canadian Back Loggers Pre 2008 Association’ strongly condemns this proposal and demands its withdrawal as this is a fraud played upon the trust for Canadian policies these applicants had and is an infringement of their Human Rights,” they said.

The group said applicants, seeking immigration to Canada, world over are agitated and offended by this proposal of the Canadian Government. The applicants who followed all the rules, did everything Canadian immigration department asked of them, were kept waiting since 2004 being assured that their file were under process and were kept in dark by the Canadian Immigration authorities by concealing information or providing misinformation.

“Canadian Government made false promise that the processing of their files was being done on first come first serve basis and would be speeded up but instead the waiting period was increased to almost three times i.e. to a good eight years. After 28th February 2008 the applications received before 27th February 2008 were sent to the warehouse and their processing was stopped or slowed to a sickening pace and the doctrine of first come first serve was trashed. The new policy essentially allowed those who applied for immigration after 28th February 2008 to jump ahead of those who had applied before them,” they said

The changes introduced by Jason Kenney, ignoring the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration Canada on how to address the backlog of applications in the budget and the proposal to scrap all the applications filed before 27th February 2008, retrospectively, without processing, they said for no fault of these applicants is inhumane and an infringement of their Human Rights who wasted their golden years of their life and other available opportunities, waiting patiently, planning and preparing themselves for their turn to make Canada their new home, believing in the fairness of the Canadian Government and its commitment to its announced policies.

“This decision reminds the historical incident of 1914 when the then Conservative government of Canada returned the steam ship Komagatamaru carrying 376 passengers from PunjabIndia and the Chinese Exclusion Act, 1923 designed to keep out immigrants of Asian origin. If implemented, this proposal will push the world back to the horror of Racism and Slavery through commoditization of prospective immigrants.

“‘The Canadian Back Loggers Pre 2008 Association’ champions the cause of these applicants and appeals to all the Human Rights Organizations, Political Parties, and the Governments to protect such applicants who are not just 3,00,000 applicants but their families numbering into more than a million, from being condemned in this inhuman way by the Canadian Government and raise this issue at every forum. This is not 1914 but 21st century.”

The Association will be submitting a memorandum against this proposal to the United Nations Human Rights Council at Hague, Prime Minister of Canada, the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism.

30th April 2012 was observed as the world protest day and protest rallies are being organized across the globe, Including China, Hong Kong, India, Pakistan and the United Kingdom, asking for withdrawal of Canada Government’s unholy proposal. Slogans such as “Reject or Select us, but don’t Trash us” and “Unfair Canada” will be raised to create awareness of the distrustful policies of Canada.