§ BARBADIAN EMIGRATION TO CANADA
§ Department
of Citizenship and Immigration, Immigration Branch, Intradepartmental
Correspondence; to Chief Operations Division, Ottawa; from A/Director, United
Kingdom. February 28th, 1955.
o
“Emigration
from Barbados, B.W.I.”
o
“The Barbados authorities propose to establish a
training scheme, in co-operation with the British authorities, with a view to
transporting to the United Kingdom a number of female domestic workers who have
been partly trained in household duties in Barbados; the final training would
be completed in the United Kingdom under the National Institute of House
Workers, and at the completion of this training, they would be considered
efficient for placement in British households and institutions, etc. for
domestic duties.”
o
“It is anticipated that arrangements would be
made, as a start, to ship some 200 female domestic workers to the United
Kingdom, and it was felt that they could be readily absorbed into this
country. The question was raised as to
whether the Canadian government had any scheme comparable to the one now
proposed by the United Kingdom, and if not, would the Canadian government
favourably entertain a similar scheme.”
§ Colonial
Office, The Church House, Gt. Smith Street, London, S.W.1. Letter from
Frederick Hudd, Esq., C.B.E. February 24th, 1955
o
“I would like to emphasize that the Barbados
Government fully realize that other people also have their employment problems
and do not wish to suggest anything in the way of a mass migration, or indeed
anything that would cause difficulties in Canada. However, they would welcome anything in the
way of a controlled scheme, either for domestic workers or for any other
category of emigrant and, naturally, we in the Colonial Office would be happy
to see any such scheme inaugurated.”
§ ***PROPOSAL FOR CONTROLLED EMIGRATION FROM
BARBADOS FOR SPECIFIED TYPES OF WORKER***
o
“The vast majority of the inhabitants are
racially negroid but British by three centuries of tradition and culture.”
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“The need for outlets for emigration from
Barbados is acute and the Island can produce a force of many hundreds of
domestic servants, and a large number of semi-skilled or unskilled workers, as
well as a smaller number of other workers with a secondary education.”
o
Refuting Climate Discrimination
o
“Although Barbados is in the Tropics, its people
have shown themselves to be well able to withstand cold climates.”
o
Controlled Emigration (Proposing the Domestic Scheme)
o
“The Barbados Government fully realise that
other countries have their own population problems, including housing and
employment. They do not seek in any way
to promote a mass emigration which will cause difficulty in the countries to
which emigrants go. They do feel
however, that their own problems could be alleviated if schemes could be
arranged for the controlled emigration of different classes of persons. While they would not be unwilling for this
controlled emigration to be permanent, they would be equally willing for it to
be temporary and they would place no restrictions or obstacles in the way of
Barbadians wishing to return to their Island after a period of years.”
o
Barbadian officials
willing to compromise with Canadian officials for the emigration of their
people. The proposal was logical and
used an employment market that Canadians needed filled (Domestic Service) and
used an equally good example of how this scheme worked in the UK for Barbadian
female emigrants with the National Institute of House Workers (N.I.H).
o
“It is requested that the Canadian Government
should give sympathetic consideration to the above proposals.”
§ A Damning and
Hypocritical Statement against Black Immigration
§ A
Review of Immigration from the British West Indies. January 14th, 1955.
o
“While restrictive, our policy with respect to
Negroes has never been one of absolute exclusion; for example, Negroes who are
British subjects within the meaning of Regulation 20(1) have always been
admissible to this country.
o
“Argument Against an Immigration Agreement”:
§
“It is
not by accident that coloured British subjects other than the negligible
numbers from the United Kingdom are excluded from Canada. It is from experience, generally speaking,
that coloured people in the present state of the white man’s thinking are not a
tangible community asset, and as a result are more or less ostracized. They do not assimilate readily and pretty
much vegetate to a low standard of living.
Despite what has been said to the contrary, many cannot adapt themselves
to our climatic conditions. To enter
into an agreement which would have the effect of increasing coloured
immigration to this country would be an act of misguided generosity since it
would not have the effect of bringing about a worthwhile solution to the
problem of coloured people and would quite likely intensify our own social and
economic problem. I think that the
biggest single argument against increasing coloured immigration to this country
is the simple fact that the Canadian public is not prepared to accept them in
any significant numbers.”
§
“Furthermore,
our present programme is one of selective immigration and because it is
selective it is regarded by many as being restrictive, thus we are vulnerable
to charges of discrimination. The
establishment of an agreement which would provide for a quota of Negroes would
have the effect of rendering our restrictive policy more obvious.”
§
The Canadian Government
knew their policy towards Black WI immigration was discrimination, but wanted
to keep the decision making arbitrary and obfuscated so that no one could
actually charge them with discrimination.
o
“Considerations in Favour of an Agreement”
§
“Despite legislation forbidding discrimination,
I believe it would be unrealistic to suggest that discrimination is not being
practiced in Canada at the present time.
I submit that a possible solution to this problem would be to admit such
coloured persons who, because of their qualifications, are likely to become
exceptional citizens and thus render the Negro more generally acceptable in
Canada. This would be a long term
programme, but one worthy of serious thought and one which adds weight to the
suggestion that Negro immigration to this country be increased.”
o
“Considering both sides of the argument, I
consider that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages and I would recommend
that no action be taken in this regard this year and the matter be reviewed
again when considering the 1956 immigration programme.”
§ BARBADOS
§ Letter
from J.W. Pickersgill, to His Excellency Brigadier Sir Robert Duncan Harris
Arundel, K.C.M.G., O.B.E., Governor of the Windward Islands, Government House,
Barbados, British West Indies. December
16th, 1954.
o
“At the present time, our immigration policy
provides only for the admission from Barbados of close relatives of legal
residents of Canada and persons whose circumstances have exceptional
merit. I fear it would not be realistic
for me to hold out much hope of any fundamental change in the present policy in
the near future.”
§ Letter
from the Governor at the Government House Barbados, November, 1954.
o
Trying to sell the
British kinship and loyalties of Barbadians and their loyalty to Canada to
promote increased emigration to Canada.
o
“It is understood that Canada is presently in
need of immigrants. The loyalty of
Barbadians to the British Crown is a historical fact and it is felt that
Barbadians could settle as workers, either permanently or temporarily, in
Canada, a fellow member of the British Commonwealth of Nations, with profit to
Canada and credit to themselves. Indeed,
several Barbadians served with the Canadian forces during the last World War
with credit, and many of these have elected to remain in Canada.”
o
“I therefore request you to be so good as to
advise this Government on the possibilities of employment of Barbadians in the
fields suggested in this letter (domestic servants), and in any others in which
there is an unsatisfied demand for man-power.”
§ Negro Citizenship Association – Racist
Immigration Policy
§ Memorandum:
Brief Presented to the Prime Minister, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration,
Members of the Government of Canada, by the Negro Citizenship Association,
Tuesday April 27th, 1954.
Donald W. Moore (Director) and Norman Grizzle, D.C. (Secretary)
o
“The
Immigration Act since 1923 seems to have been purposely written and revised
to deny equal immigration status to those areas of the Commonwealth where
coloured peoples constitute a large part of the population. This is done by creating a rigid definition
of British subject: ‘British subjects by
birth or by naturalization in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand or the
Union of South Africa and citizens of Ireland’.
This definition excludes from the category of ‘British subject’ those
who are in all other senses British subjects, but who come from such areas as
the British West Indies, Bermuda, British Guiana, Ceylon, India, Pakistan,
Africa, etc.”
o
NCA refutes the Climate Theory saying, “Negroes have for a century and a half moved
into Canada from tropical areas, and have taken up life here with no great
problems of adjustment to climate”. Also
cited examples of West Indians serving the British army in all parts of the
world with no problems.
o
NCA refutes the Non-Assimilation claim: “The customs, habits, modes of life, or
methods of holding property in the West Indies are essentially the same as in
Canada, and no change is necessary when these people become part of the
Canadian way of life.”
o
Conclusions:
o
“The Negro Citizenship Association respectfully
requests that the Government of Canada”:
§
“Amend the definition of ‘British Subject’ so as
to include all those who are, for all other purposes, regarded as ‘British subjects
and citizens of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.”
§
“Make provision in the Act of the entry of a
British West Indian – without regard to racial origin – who has sufficient
means to maintain himself until he has secured employment.”
§
“Delete the word ‘orphan’ from the regulation
which provides for the entry of nephews and nieces under 21.”
§
“Make specific the term ‘persons of exceptional
merit.’
§
“Set up an Immigration Office in an centrally
located area of the British West Indies for the handling of prospective
immigrants.”
§ BARBADOS IMMIGRATION
§ SELECTION & PROCESSING – GENERAL SERIES
– IMMIGRATION FROM BARBADOS. RG76; VOL 1241; FILE 5850-3-555
§ “Immigration
from Barbados”:
o
“Background of Immigration Movement”:
§
“Until the coming into force of the 1962
Immigration Regulations, admission from the West Indies was restricted to close
relatives sponsored by Canadian citizens or residents. The Department did seek special authority,
however, in a fairly substantial number of cases of exceptional merit involving
West Indians who were especially well suited.”
o
“Household Services Workers”:
§
1955 Domestic Workers Scheme:
·
75 from Jamaica and 25 from Barbados
·
Extended to other WI countries and totaled 280
by 1960
·
Domestic quota increased to 42 by 1959, remained
at that level until the Domestic Scheme ended.
§
Following 1962 De-racialization ofCanadian
immigration, Domestic scheme was no longer needed.
·
Domestic workers could now be accepted through the
immigrant stream as long as they met the selection criteria
·
By October 1967 (Points System), “it was felt
that the special movement could no longer be justified as it would run counter
to the principle of universality embodied in the Regulations. Consequently, the various governments
concerned were informed of our decision to end the special movement in 1968”.
o
“Seasonal Workers”:
§
In 1960, West Indian Government asked Canada if
seasonal workers in the US could come to Canada as part of the annual “United
States-Canada exchange programme”. They
would harvest potatoes, apples, tobacco, and other crops.
§
Maintained until 1966, until prior to the
Caribbean-Canada Conference it was decided that farm workers would come
directly from the West Indies to Canada.
§
Programme continued in 1968, where 1,258 West
Indians came to Canada, 331 (26%) from Barbados.
o
“Size of Movement”:
§
“There was a gradual increase in the number of
West Indians admitted before 1955 and then the rate increased by more than 50
percent and reached 8,387 for the West Indies in 1967. Of more significance, however, during this
period is the change in the racial content of the movement. In 1950, only 19 percent of the persons
admitted form the West Indies were Negroes while in 1963 the figure had jumped
to 70 percent.”
§
“With the coming into force of the new
Immigration Regulations in 1962, West Indians have been admitted to Canada as
unsponsored immigrants. Immigration
selection teams visited the Caribbean area once in 1963 and 1964 and twice in
1965 and 1966. During 1967, several
teams went to specific areas in order to clear up the backlog before the
establishment of our two offices in the West Indies.”
o
Before 1962, “there was no need and less
incentive for the Department to open an office in the Caribbean”. Then with the new Regulations in 1962, it was
needed.
§
By 1967, two offices were opened. One in Kingston, Jamaica, and the other in
Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, which covers Barbados.
§ Letter
to J.B. Bissett, Director General, Foreign Service Region from R. Martineau,
Chief, Western Hemisphere. January 29th,
1975.
o
Barbadian
emigrants to Canada in 1967: 1181.
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