Stephen Harper and Jason Kenney have Broken their Promises to New Canadians

Changes to family reunification means it is harder to sponsor your parents and grandparents

MARKHAM – Today, John McCallum, Liberal candidate for Markham-Thornhill, highlighted the frustration of thousands of Canadians who wish to sponsor their parents and grandparents.  After making changes to the immigration system after the last election, the Conservatives have all but eliminated the chance of sponsoring parents and grandparents under the family reunification system.

“Stephen Harper and Jason Kenny have broken the promise Canada makes to all new Canadians,” said Mr. McCallum.  “The opportunity to sponsor your mother and father, and give them a better life, is a promise that Canada has always made to Canadians.  Instead, Mr. Harper and Mr. Kenney, have replaced this with a process that is more complex and costly leaving many with little hope of being reunited with their parents, spouses, children and grandparents.”

After almost a decade of Stephen Harper’s Conservatives, Canada’s immigration system is in disarray.  In addition to the Conservatives’ changes to family reunification, they have increased the cost of citizenship, made changes which made it harder to become a citizen and changed the age of dependency making it harder to sponsor children.

“The Harper Conservatives’ treatment of the immigration system has been a complete and utter failure,” said Mr. McCallum.  “After ten years, it is clear that they have no intention of speeding up the process or making our system fairer.  Instead, they continue to make promises during elections and failing to deliver.  Canadians deserve better.”