Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has been asked with exploring ways to fast-track the process of bringing Haitians into Canada under the family reunification program.
The announcement will be augmented with new immigration rules that will make it easier for Haitians to join family members in Canada. As well, people in Canada who for whatever reason may be required to return to Haiti – because, such as, their visa has expired – will be granted an extension, permitting them to stay in Canada temporarily.
With Montreal being the center of the Haitian-Canadian community, there are about 150,000 people of Haitian origin in Canada. The backlog of Haitians seeking to join family members in Canada stretches back for years. But Prime Minister Stephen Harper has promised that the government will quickly put in place measures to improve the immigration process for Haitians in the wake of this week’s calamity.
