I think I might petition France to take back the statue of liberty from the USA and re-gift it to Canada. Those famous words “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” seem much more appropriate to Canada today than to the United States of America.
Even prior to Trump taking office, in the 10 years ending 2014, Canada receive 2,556,353 immigrants while the USA took in 10,822,112. With a population 10 times that of Canada, they took in only 4.2 times as many immigrants.
There is a huge difference between immigrants and refugees however. While immigrants are generally people with something to offer their new country, “Refugees are generally people outside of their country who are unable or unwilling to return home because they fear serious harm,” according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Can you imagine taking whatever you can carry and fleeing your country not in search of a better life but rather just a chance to remain alive for you and your family?
In 2017, America resettled about 33,000 refugees, according to UN data while Canada resettled about 27,000 a paltry 1.2 times the number. It would appear that America has given up on helping the “huddled masses” and has abdicated that role to their neighbour to the north. Canada’s number should surpass the American number by 2020.
I am proud to be a Canadian.