's Response to Black African Immigrants Yohannes Gebresellasie

Black Africans are nontraditional immi- (18) and Uganda (169). In 1972 Canada grants in Canada. Canada's traditional accepted some 6,000 Ugandan Asians. immigrants were from Europe and the According to Dirks (1977, 244), those United States. Prior to 1900 there were Ugandan refugees two major migrations of persons of Afri- spoke English, possessed above aver- can descent, who left the United States age education and were considered to for Canada. "After the American War of be self-reliant. In addition the majority independence, many United Empire of those applying to enter Canada eas- Loyalists came to Canada with their ily qualified for admission under nor- slaves."' Also, approximately 3,000 mal immigration regulations. These blacks who had fought for the British people, therefore, were the type Cana- settled in Nova Scotia. In 1833, the gov- da's immigration policy sought to at- tract. The only procedures and service ernment of Upper Canada passed an ad programs which distinguished the that gave some rights to blacks. The ad Ugandan Asian movement from nor- stated that "Negro slaves from the mal immigration patterns consisted of United States (in Canada) will not be the dispatching of an immigration extradited except for crimes of murder, team to Kampala where no offiaals larceny, or similar crimes of ~iolence."~ were normally posted, and the trans- As a result, about 40,000 to 50,000 blacks porting of refugees to Canada initially found sanctuary in Canada. After 1900, was at government expense. Once in however, Canadian policy strongly dis- Canada, the refugees found them- selves treated for the most part like any couraged nonwhite immigration. Even other immigrant with respect to gov- as late as I950 blacks were "inadmissible ernment services. unless they fell in the preferred classes or were the spouses or minor children of During the 1970s immigration from Canadian resident^."^ When Canada Africa to Canada more than doubled abandoned its discriminatory immigra- compared to the 1950s and 1960s (see tion policy in 1967, black African mi- Table 1). grants, particularly those with higher Northern African countries have education and professional skills, were been major sources of immigrants to able to enter Canada as long as they could Canada during the 1960s. Those coun- compete along the same standards with tries encouraged emigration for people European or American immigrants. whose skills were not essential; this was Until then most immigrants who considered one solution to domestic eco- managed to enter Canada were of Euro- nomic problems. In the 1970s more and pean descent, many of them from Great more immigrants came to Canada from Britain. The records of de fado refugees eastern African countries to escape po- who entered Canada from 1947 to 1967 litical conflicts in the Horn of Africa. For list none of African origin, although example, Idi Amin's dictatorship in some may have been included under the Uganda led to the expulsion of Ugan- category of "Others." From 1%8to 1973, dans, and conflicts in Ethiopia, Somalia, 207 African refugees came from the fol- Eritrea and Tigray caused thousands to lowing countries: Egypt (8), Libya (3), leave their countries to seek safety else- (6), South Africa (3), where. During the 1980s and 1990s, sodo- Yohannes Gebresellasie, who is from LmlUniw- economic and political conditions in Af- sity, is currently a research exchange scholur at rica have increased the number of CRS. refugees from one million in 1970 to the

2 Refuge, Vol. 13, No. 1(April 1993) current figure of approximatelyfive mil- are provided by the Canadian Interna- humanitarian organizations, such as lion. This represents l percent of the total tional Development Agency (CIDA); Christian Aid, argue that industrialized African population. The majority of Afri- however, policy decisions are made by countries, including Canada, should be can refugees are from the Horn of Africa. the Office of External Affairs in conjunc- more responsible in seeking solutions to Refugees from this region are the second tion with CIDA and Canada Employ- refugee problems. One solution is in- largest concentration of refugees any- ment and Immigration. creasing financial aid to international where, exceeded only by the estimated The overall Canadian contribution to and nongovernmental agencies and the five to six million Afghan refugees who Africa is minimalcompared to Canadian other is accepting more refugees from fled from the civil war in their country to investments in South Africa. Some Third World countries. camps in and Iran. Canada's Response to African Refhgees Table 1 Table 2: From the earliest days of the United Na- African Migration to Canada African Immigration Compared to tions, Canada has played an important (1950-79) Total Annual role in promoting peace and stability Year Volume Year Total African around the world and helped to create 1950 1966 194,747 3,924 various humanitarian organizations, 1951 such as the United Nations Relief and 1967 222,876 4,596 1952 Rehabilitation Administration, in order 1968 183,974 5,205 to help countries resolve their problems 1953 161,531 3,347 with displaced persons. Canada gave 1954 1969 landed immigrant status to more than 1955 1970 147,713 2,858 l60,OOO eastern European refugees in the 1956 1971 121,900 2,816 postwar years and encouraged the inter- 1957 national community to work together to 1972 122,006 8,428 resolve the refugee crisis. Generally, the 1958 1973 184,100 8,360 Canadian government has followed a 1959 1974 218,465 10,381 liberal internationalist approach with 1960 1975 187,881 9,950 regard to migration that reflects a hu- 1961 manitarian perspective to the problem of 1962 1976 149,429 7,631 refugees and displaced people within the 1963 1977 114,914 6,322 constraints of its domestic socio- economic and political objectives. 1964 1978 86,313 4,270 The 1976 Immigration Act recognizes 1965 1979 112,096 3,959 Canada's international obligation to 1966 1980 143,366 4,332 refugees, the displaced and the perse- 1967 1981 128,741 4,891 cuted. In that regard, Canada has wel- 1968 comed sigruficant numbers of displaced 1982 121,268 4,516 1969 people from all over the world. When 1983 89,323 3,669 Canada introduced the refugee class in 1970 1976, Africans refugees were mainly 1971 1984 88,515 3,584 from Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Djibouti 1972 1985 84,640 3,581 and Uganda. An analysis of the Immi- 1973 1986 99,788 4,822 gration and Refugee Board statistics for 1974 the year 1991, shown in Tables 3,4 and 5, 1987 153,078 8,600 1975 indicates that there were claims from 1988 162,266 9,424 1976 virtually every country in Africa and 1989 192,088 12,214 those fleeing persecution have been gen- 1977 13,426 erally given protection. 1978 1990 212,975 Canada has made financial contribu- 1979 Total 3,683,993 155,106 tions to help solve the African refugee Total crisis within the continent of Africa as Source: Statistics Canada, 1990, opposed to resettling them in Canada. Source: Employment and Immigration Canada's contributions to UNHCR Canada, Immigration Statistics, 1980. (approximately $3-4 million annually)

Wge,Vol. 13, No. 1(Apd 1993) 3 Table 3: Table 4: nitial Hearing Data for African Refugee Claimants in Canada Full Hearing Data for -can Refugees in Canada Period: January 1 to December 31. 1991 Period: January 1 to December 31. 1991

Country of Claims With- Not Credible Basis Country of Claims With- Refugee Status 96 Origins Concluded drawn Eligible Yes No Origin Concluded rawn Yes No Accept

- Algeria ...... 222 ...... 5 Algeria ...... 103 ...... 12 ...... 48 ...... 44 ...... 5 2.2 Angola ...... 36 ...... 0 Angola ...... 33 ...... 3 ...... 15 ...... 6 ...... 71.4 ...... 1 ...... 0 Benin ...... 2 ...... 0 ...... 1 ...... 1 ...... 1 ...... 0 Botswana ...... 1 ...... 0 ...... 1 ...... 0 Burkina-Faso ...... 4 ...... 0 Burkina-Faso ...... 1 ...... 0 ...... 1 ...... 0 Burundi ...... 0 ...... 0 Burundi ...... 2 ...... 0 ...... 2 ...... 0 ...... 8 ...... 1 Cameroon ...... 10 ...... 1 ...... 3 ...... 5 ...... 37.5 Cen . African Rep ...... 1 ...... 0 Cen. African Rep ...... 3 ...... 0 ...... 0 ...... 2 Chad ...... 5 ...... 0 Chad ...... 5 ...... 0 ...... 3 ...... 1 ...... 7 5.0 Congo ...... 3 ...... 0 Congo ...... 3 ...... 0 ...... 1 ...... 1 Djibouti ...... 9 ...... 0 Djiiuti ...... 8 ...... 0 ...... 5 ...... 2 ...... 71.4 Egypt ...... 50 ...... 1 Egypt ...... 20 ...... 1 ...... 9 ...... 11 ...... 45.0 Ethiopia ...... 751 ...... 1 Ethiopia ...... 557 ...... 13 ...... 395 ...... 71 ...... 8 4.8 Gabon ...... 7 ...... 0 Gabon ...... 1 ...... 0 ...... 0 ...... 3 Gambia ...... 2 ...... 0 Gambia ...... 8 ...... 1 ...... 0 ...... ...... l. 119 ...... 23 Ghana ...... 714 ...... 64 ...... 233 ...... 285 ...... 45.0 ...... 26 ...... 1 Guinea ...... 14 ...... 2 ...... 7 ...... 7 ...... 50.0 Guinea-Bissau ...... 0 ...... 0 Guinea-Bissau ...... 0 ...... 0 ...... 1 ...... 0 ...... 10 ...... 0 Ivory Coast ...... 6 ...... 0 ...... 2 ...... 2 ...... 50.0 Kenya ...... 124 ...... 1 Kenya ...... 124 ...... 2 ...... 90 ...... 32 ...... 7 3.8 ...... 1 ...... 0 Lesotho ...... 0 ...... 1 ...... 0 ...... 0 ...... -54 ...... 0 Liberia ...... 36 ...... 3 ...... 19 ...... 14 ...... 5 7.6 Libya ...... 52 ...... 2 Libya ...... 34 ...... 1 ...... 22 ...... 9 ...... 7 1.0 Madagascar 0 1 0 0 Madagascar ...... 3 ...... a. 0 ...... Malawi ...... 4 ...... 0 Malawi ...... 5 ...... 0 ...... 1 ...... 4 ...... 20.0 ...... 113 ...... 0 Mali ...... 98 ...... 1 ...... 58 ...... 31 ...... 6 5.2 Mauritania ...... 2 ...... 0 Mauritania ...... 3 ...... 0 ...... 3 ...... 0 ...... 3 ...... 0 Mauritius ...... 0 ...... 0 ...... 0 ...... 0 Mom ...... 22 ...... 2 Mom...... 15 ...... 2 ...... 6 ...... 9 ...... 40.0 Mozambique ...... 0 ...... 0 Mozambique ...... 1 ...... 0 ...... 0 ...... 1 ...... 0 ...... 0 Namibia ...... 0 ...... 1 ...... 0 ...... 0 Niger ...... 10 ...... 0 Niger ...... 2 ...... 0 ...... 0 ...... 2 ...... 570 ...... 8 Nigeria ...... 283 ...... 24 ...... 72 ...... 160 ...... 3 1.0 Rwanda ...... -20 ...... 0 Rwanda ...... 12 ...... 1 ...... 11 ...... 0 ... 100.0 Senegal ...... 12 ...... 0 Senegal ...... 3 ...... 2 ...... 0 ...... 3 ...... 433 ...... 0 Seychelles ...... 254 ...... 6 ...... 1% ...... 33 ...... 8 5.6 Sierra Leone ...... 7 ...... 0 Sierra Leone ...... 5 ...... 0 ...... 3 ...... 2 ...... 60.0 Somalia ...... 3. 687 ...... 4 Somalia ...... 4, 059 ...... 54 ...3. 672 ...... 292 ...... 92 .6 South Africa ...... -43 ...... 2 South Africa ...... 46 ...... 1 ...... 21 ...... 26 ...... 44 .7 Sudan ...... 222 ...... 0 Sudan ...... 177 ...... 4 ...... 150 ...... -21 ...... 8 7.7 Tanzania ...... 23 ...... 1 Tanzania ...... 8 ...... 1 ...... 1 ...... 8 ...... 1 1.1 ...... 17 ...... 0 Togo ...... 8 ...... 1 ...... 3 ...... 4 ...... 42.9 Tunisia ...... 12 ...... 1 Tunisia ...... 8 ...... 0 ...... 7 ...... 1 ...... 8 7.5 Uganda ...... 30 ...... 0 Uganda ...... 37 ...... 1 ...... 27 ...... 11 ...... 71.1 Zaire ...... 380 ...... 1 Zaire ...... 262 ...... 3 ...... 2W...... 40 ...... 8 3.8 ...... 11 ...... 0 Zambia ...... 8 ...... 1 ...... 1 ...... 5 ...... 16.7 ...... 1 ...... 0 Zimbabwe ...... 1 ...... 1 ...... 1 ...... 0 Total ...... 8. 111 ...... 54 ...... 8 ...... 7. 880 ...239 Total ...... 6. 980 ...... 209 ...5,2 98 ... 1. 153 ...... 82. 1

Source: Immigration and Refugee Board. news release. Source: Immigration and Refugee Board. news release. February 11.1992 . February 11.1992 .

4 Refige. Vol . 13. No . 1 (April 1993) Table 5: Refugee Claim Data for Major Refugee Source Countries from Africa (January 1 to December 31,1991)

Country Claims With- Convention Refugee Status of Origin Concluded drawn Yes No % Accepted 1. Somalia 4,059 54 3,672 292 92.6 2. Ghana 714 64 233 285 45.0 3. Ethiopia 557 13 395 71 84.8 4. Nigeria 283 24 72 160 31.0 5. Zaire 262 3 207 40 83.8 6. Seychelles 254 6 196 33 85.6 7. Sudan 177 4 150 21 87.7 8. Kenya 124 2 90 32 73.8 9. Algeria 103 12 48 44 52.2 10. Mali 98 1 58 31 65.2 Top-10 total 6,631 183 5,121 1,009 83.5 Others 349 26 177 144 55.1 Total 6,980 209 5,298 1,153 82.1 Source: Immigration and Refugee Board, news release, Feb. 11,1992.

Conclusion regard to Africa, which included encour- aging voluntary repatriation, resolving Canada's immigration policy with conflicts, assisting countries in regard to blacks in general and black reintegratingrefugees and collaborating Africans in particular is a recent develop- with organizations such as the Organiza- ment. Growing numbers of refugees tion of African Unity.As a member of the were accepted for humanitarian reasons, internationalcommunity and a defender which increased the number of non- of human rights, Canada has a responsi- traditional immigrants or refugees in bility in helping to resolve the displace- Canada. At present, Canadais facing one ment of migrants or refugees and of its greatest challenges in terms of refu- fulfilling its international obligation in gee claimants from Third World coun- humanitarian aid. It is also to Canada's tries. Is Canada doing its part in sharing advantage to see peace and stability the refugee burden? Is its policy just or maintained in Third World countries discriminatory towards certain groups? because they may become Canada's Canadian immigration policy did major trading partners in the future. rn not encourage resettlement of Africans. The entry of Africans to Canada has al- ways been restrictive, even after the Notes "White Canada Policy1' was abolished. 1. Gerald Di,Canada's Refugee Policy: The African immigration to Canada av- Indifference Or Opportunism (, eraged only about four percent of the : McGill-Queen's University total immigration to Canada. Press, 1977), 22. Canada's financial assistance has 2. lbid., 23. been channelled either directly to host 3. Rhoda Howard, "The Canadian Govem- governments or to UNHCR or other in- ment's Response to the African Refugee ternational governmental and humani- Problem," Journal of African Studies 15, tarian agencies. Canada has supported a no. 1(1981): 103. number of UNHCR's policy issues with

Refuge, Vol. 13, No. 1 (April 1993) 5