Citizenship test: Collective action required, or expect endless delays, years. Example of the effective lobbyng of people awaiting spousal sponsorship
- Thread starter piotrqc
- Start date
Agree that there are some real points that should embarrass them. I think points 2 and 4 are good ones to highlight. I’d stay away from 1 and 3. Schools don’t need the security measures that citizen test would need and the long term affects of a school test are pretty low compared to the outcome of a citizen exam. Three is a tricky one because we don’t qualify to vote until we pass the test, interview, and take the oath. I’m not sure it’s a door we’d want to open.
Also, just wanted to say thank you for being very cool when debating view points. It’s great to have a good discussion on this. It’ll really hone the best and most efficient way to approach the government about moving the citizenship applications forward. I appreciate your views on this!
You have very valid points, and I fully appreciate and share your frustrations. Most of the applicants are very grateful for the contributions of the "resume the test" advocacy groups; however, many here are also concerned about how to come up with the best way to express our frustrations. Group protests amidst a pandemic, storming the MPs with templated e-mails, etc., are frankly not the best way. It is perhaps also important to predict the consequences; we want to call for the sympathy of the general public, rather than annoying them, so as not to perceive the immigrants as whiny, selfish, greedy, or entitled. After all, almost everyone is affected by the pandemic, and everyone is on edge nowadays.
Likely, no single method of protesting will be unanimously supported here, and as such, it is also reasonable to think that no one remedy from the CIC will please everyone and the general public. I trust that the government definitely has some contingency plans in place (e.g. alternative tests/pathways, return to work order, etc), but it seems that there is a lack of leadership from the CIC admins to implement any changes.
Just playing the devil's advocate, I propose a few concerns to "answer" your questions.
If schools can do it, why can't IRCC?
R: The government/citizenship test is a much more sacred and serious undertaking. (Frankly, though, I trust almost all "economy class" immigrants should have the skills and knowledge to score very well on this test, even without studying or "cheating".) This past March, it indeed also took quite a while for my department to come up with a plan to finish the courses, mostly due to the never-ending discussions; in the end, like most universities, the Winter 2020 courses are mostly graded as Pass/Fail instead of the traditional letter/numerical marks.
How hard is it to make an online test with 20 questions? Does the IRCC need web developers ? I volunteer..
R: Excellent point! So many foreign-trained nurses and doctors (yes, immigrants!) offered to volunteer in February to help in the front line, and thousands of biomedical science researchers also offered to volunteer for helping with the COVID testing. They were plainly rejected, thanks to the influences of government red tapes, propelled by the union leaders. It was only later that a small number of the "foreign" physicians were reluctantly allowed into the hospital; my colleagues work with (or "supervise", the proper term the administration and physician college want everyone to use) one of them, and he is the best surgeon and most knowledgeable person, but this is how his offer has been treated.
Over 200,000+ Canadian residents eligible but not allowed to vote! Democracy at risk!
R: Excellent point again! However, everyday Joe will likely just shrug it off; to them, there is more urgent stuff to worry about at this point.
New press article + a video report in the same article concerning the demonstrations to request the resumption of the tests. The video is in the article, below. You will have the pleasure of seeing the person behind all this movement and effort on social media! Watch from minute 2'06, it's in English.
https://www.omnitv.ca/on/en/frustrated-applicants-clamor-for-resumption-of-canadian-citizenship-tests/
https://www.omnitv.ca/on/en/frustrated-applicants-clamor-for-resumption-of-canadian-citizenship-tests/
@deadbird :
You raised VERY interesting points ... I took the liberty of passing them on to the lead of the group on social networks ... Maybe it could be a good source of inspiration for posters, for the next demonstrations.
Thank you for your interventions, often effectives.
All Is it time for a coordinated effort in Every Canadian city to contact the CBC CTV and Global? If there is one day when we ALL log complaints or when we all write letters to the press - so there is a ground swell - make it a news story. Contact news programs like the 5th estate.
It not enough to just complain here. We need to publicize how this is causing pain How people are being ignored. Publish how government is inept. If we can agree here - maybe we start to reach out in a coordinated fashion Let the press work for us.
It not enough to just complain here. We need to publicize how this is causing pain How people are being ignored. Publish how government is inept. If we can agree here - maybe we start to reach out in a coordinated fashion Let the press work for us.
Dreaming is the only solace in the current situation!
Maybe not, but if a vaccine is around the corner it might make sense for the government to wait until it is available, at least for IRCC employees. As long as IRCC employees are vaccinated, and the vaccine is really as effective as it seems, it may matter less if people taking the test are vaccinated.
A movement to ask for the resumption of citizenship tests has already emerged ... And has already organized online events, like a storm on twitter (with the hastag #Resume_Citizenship_Tests ), and especially organized a day of simultaneous demonstrations in Toronto and in montreal, last saturday november 7, which had some success in the media, cbc national notably made a video report concerning the event, as well as an article written:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/citizenship-tests-suspended-covid19-1.5796936
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1818834499542
The next step the organizers are trying to take now will be a focused demonstration in Ottawa, in front of parliament, next Saturday November 28th.
It’s not right around the corner, especially not for IRCC workers. We’re looking at mid March until it rolls out to the public & mid May until it’s sufficiently rolled out. These dates are also generous estimates, though given how everything is being fast tracked, relatively plausible.
Given how unions work in general, it will not be enough for them ... They have already taken legal action to challenge the tightening made by the secretariat of the Treasury Board of Canada to limit abuses on the use of holiday code 699, and consequently the abuse of public money by honest contributors, taxpayers, public sector employees or self-employed workers. The union clearly spoke of vaccine in its last public publication to justify their request to continue to benefit from the holiday code 699 (available on their site, we have already shared it here ...) ...
I wouldn't be surprised if the vaccines available wouldn't be enough for them. They will ask for `` a safe and effective vaccine '' and place the criteria in a very high threshold, maybe even they will refuse the criteria and acceptance thresholds of the health authorities of Canada, to delay for a few more months or years things ...
And when it will be done - REMEMBER WHAT I SAY -, they will ask in the next step after the appearance of the vaccine `` safe and effective '' (According to very high standards, their standards) a daily worldwide rate of people contaminated by the virus of ... 0 people per day = An additional insurance for them to stretch a few more years or ten additional years of vaccinations paid at full rate. REMEMBER WHAT I SAY!
.... I don't like to venture into political fiction ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_fiction ), but I'll do it this time:
So, like I said, the union will do everything possible to stretch the deadlines for a few more years, several years, maybe a decade (10 years, time flies ... And people are getting a taste for money easy) ... In short, enough time to see the current government fall, and be replaced by a very conservative government of O'toole, and majority.
It is very likely (several analysts say) that the current government will not resist the next vote of confidence, that of the tabling of the budget law, in the spring of 2021, around April 2021 ...
(Political fiction starts here)
After a close vote, this time Singh's ndp will not save the Liberal government. Exasperated to pass for a party under the orders of the Liberals, Singh will not give his confidence this time to the Liberals ... The votes of the conservatives of O'toole and the Quebec separatists of the Bloc Québécois will complete the majority in the vote against the party liberal. The Liberal government will fall. Early elections will be announced ...
The pre-election campaign will be violent, O'toole will attack Trudeau on WE CHARITY scandal, his economic record, the spending made during the health crisis, and will also attack foreigners and the latest immigration plan of 1.2 million immigrants. .. The nationalist slogans will appear, and we will say that all the economic problems come from the immigrants who '' steal the work of the Canadians, and eat their bread '' ... The recipe had already worked for Legault for example, who currently trains a populist and 'nationalist' government in Quebec.
The recipe will be winning for O'toole ... The one who won the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada with the support of the `` pro-life '' and the pro-arms will win the federal elections this time with a large majority comfortable. He will have a free hand for the next 4 years to conduct his policies.
The conservatives, it is well known historically, are not Keynesians at all (i.e. they are not followers of the economic theory which says that you have to spend a lot to revive the economy through consumption) ...
As soon as he takes an oath before the Governor General of Canada, O'toole will immediately begin his conservative economic policy: Budget cuts and budget cuts and transfers in health, education, international aid ... Populist politics will direct his economic choices .
There will be mass cuts in the public service, cuts, and downsizing.
Several sectors deemed non-essential will be cut ... Culture, immigration.
Interested by the new immigration critic of the liberal party, of the opposition on the cancellation of immigration plans, the drop in annual quotas in spousal sponsors, and the cancellation of the citizenship program, O'toole will say before the tribune: `` We have to take care of Canadians first, our economy has seen a lot of decline because of the non-responsible policy of liberates who spent a lot during the coronavirus crisis! ''. Deafening applause from elected members of the majority.
The cries of a few hundred demonstrators outside the parliament at the same time will not change anything.
Indeed, since the beginning of the crisis, more than 100,000 candidates have seen their dream of becoming Canadian canceled by the cessation of citizenship tests.
Since the new immigration minister canceled the program, all of their envelopes have been returned, with reimbursement of fees. The requests were simply canceled. Candidates will be invited to resend their candidacies after the new, more restrictive law is adopted. No date has yet been given. Applicants may wait a few more years.
The Honorable Octave Van der Blum, the new Minister of Immigration speaks at the microphone of CBC: `` We understand the frustrations of these people, we are not insensitive, but citizenship is not a priority, especially in view of current economic conditions ... Of course, we will continue to renew permanent resident cards according to the usual deadlines. '' The usual deadlines for renewing a card are 18 months.
Mr. White Anderson, leader of the conservative youth welcomed the latest directives and policies of the minister, he said `` We are very happy with the priorities that the current government seems to follow ... This will change us from the old Liberal government spending lavishly ... We must put our own first, Canadians! ''.
End of political fiction -
All that to say, my friends, that we must wake up now before it is too late ... You have been warned.
`` Si vis pacem, para bellum '' *
* Latin adage translated as "If you want peace, prepare for war".