Date Published:
May 2006

Documents of Canadian History / Documents de l'histoire du Canada

Contrasting Canadian Immigration Regulations

(1910, 1952, 1970's)

Immigration Act of 1910

May be excluded from immigrating to Canada:

1. "Those physically, mentally or morally unfit whose exclusion was provided for by Act of Parliament last session".
2. "Those belonging to nationalities unlikely to assimilate and who consequently prevent the building up of a united nation of people of similar customs and ideals".
3. "Those who from their mode of life and occupations are likely to crowd into urban centers and bring about a state of congestion which might result in unemployment and a lowering of the standard of our national life".

Immigration Act of 1952

The Act gave the Immigration Minister a great deal of discretionary powers. The following categories might be excluded from entering Canada:

• "Nationality, citizenship, ethnic group, occupation, class or geographical area of origin".
• "Peculiar customs, habits, modes of life, or methods of holding property".
• "Unsuitability having regard to climatic, economic, social [conditions]",
• ."Probable inability to become readily assimilated or to assume the duties or responsibilities of citizenship".

Immigration Act from the 1970's

According to the Act, the objectives of immigration are

a) "To enrich and strengthen the cultural and social fabric of Canada, taking into account the federal and bilingual character of Canada".

[...]

f) "To ensure that any person who seeks admission to Canada in either a permanent or temporary basis is subject to standards of admission that do not discriminate on grounds of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion or sex."