Hi, this is Michael Niren, immigration lawyer and founder of the VisaPlace.com. Happy new year to everybody. 2016 will hopefully be a great year.
Let’s talk about what we always talk about: immigration. There is a lot of talk in the news, especially politically. The presidential primaries are under way and the candidates can’t help themselves in terms of talking about immigration or tripping over themselves with the rhetoric, trying to outdo each other as to how they’re going to restrict immigration.
I think this is an unfortunate thing. Immigration, as I’ve said before, is not a national defense strategy. Immigration typically helps. It doesn’t hurt free societies. It helps them culturally and economically.
Now of course there are concerns. For example, Syrian refugees infiltrating — there could be some individuals, terrorists, who amongst the refugee population may try to take advantage. So screening is definitely a must, and I am for that.
But some of the candidates, for example Ted Cruz, saying, “Imagine if doctors, lawyers, and journalists were trying to cross the Rio Grande, there are would be an uproar in terms of the all jobs that would be lost to these intending immigrants.” Rhetoric like that is not helpful. In fact, it’s not even economically sound.
Immigration, as I mentioned, always provides a net benefit to the economy. Most immigrants aren’t coming to Canada, or the United States, to go on welfare. They are looking to work, to study, to grow, and to contribute.
Just imagine, why would they uproot their lives in their home country, to come to some new land, disrupt their lives? And the reason they do this is because in their home country, in most cases, there is a greater oppression, less economic opportunity, less freedom. So they are coming to America and Canada in the hopes of making a life for themselves. People living here want that and need that.
So this rhetoric about erecting a wall, preventing immigrants from coming, in the hopes that a, that’s going to stem or prevent more terrorist attacks, or protect local workers, is just nonsense. It’s rhetoric, and that is what it is. So I think the public should be aware of the reality out there. And the media, as well as the candidates themselves, will say and do what they can for their own agendas, and we all know that anyway. The facts are the facts.
It is unfortunate that this year, and in 2015, there is a lot of anti-immigration rhetoric. I think it is a classic scapegoat scenario. In any event, we’ll see what events will unfold and hopefully the rhetoric will calm down and we can move forward. Happy new year and I hope you all have a great year.
VisaPlace: Your Canadian Visa Law Experts
Are you interested in immigrating to the U.S.? Contact VisaPlace today.
Our lawyers and their staff are experienced independent practitioners affiliated with registered law firms. They have been carefully selected by VisaPlace to help you based on their experience and client service approach in Canadian and U.S. immigration law.
Click here to book a 1 on 1 consultation, or call us at 1-877-296-0874.
President & CEO
Michael Niren
Mr. Niren is CEO of VisaPlace LLC and the President and Managing Partner of VisaPlace Legal Canada, an immigration law firm based in Toronto, and VisaPlace Legal US a law firm registered in The District of Columbia, USA. Mr. Niren is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association’s Citizenship and Immigration Section, American Lawyers Association, and an Associate Member of the American Bar Association.
