Relatives hurt by immigration policy

When the Liberal government came into power, its platform included a fair and balanced immigration system. I do give kudos to the federal government for taking in several thousand Syrian refugees, and earning goodwill around the globe. However, for parent and grandparent immigration, that has not been the case. Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen is continuing with the random selection method for parents and grandparents, which is an unfair policy instituted by the old Conservative government. People have to wait for years before their parent’s or grandparent’s name is picked in the random ballot draw, and often, it never gets picked.

It is high time this system is changed and brought in line with the vaunted Canadian values of fair play, compassion, and first come, first served. Please recognize that a big percentage of the parents and grandparents are old and frail, and by the time their name comes up, they may not be alive or be too frail to travel.

I therefore appeal to the immigration minister to end this random selection process, and institute the first come, first served process, which is more in line with the values that we so cherish. Please recognize that parents and grandparents are not the burden that the government might think, but help raise small kids, instilling proper values and helping Canadians avoid unnecessary babysitting expenses. Also, quite a few Canadian households rely on them for the smooth functioning of their homes. They are part of the family network that we all want to strengthen.

Salman Ahmed, Windsor