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In June 2007, the Fraser Institute held a conference
in Toronto, Ontario, titled, "Immigration Policy, Border
Controls, and the Terrorist Threat in Canada and the United
States." The chapters in this volume, which arose from this
conference, raise fundamental questions about weaknesses in
Canada's current immigration policies and procedures. Are there
adequate measures in place to ensure reasonable levels of
security with respect to the large inflows of immigrants and
refugee claimants into Canada? Is the American perception of
insufficient security checks and controls in the Canadian system
a serious concern? Has the Canadian political system failed to
establish an appropriate balance between national security
interests and the politics of immigration and ethnic
vote-shopping? Is the combination of large-scale immigration,
limited integration of many newcomers, and the radicalization of
individuals being sufficiently addressed in today's public
policy? The contributors to this volume identify serious threats
and weaknesses in the immigration, asylum, and border regimes
from both Canadian and American perspectives. The authors are not
opposed to effectively managed immigration or allowing genuine
refugees who pose no security threat to enter the country through
a well-vetted system. All believe that the vast majority of
immigrants pose no danger, but are simply seeking to improve
their freedom and prosperity. Nevertheless, given the stakes
raised by terrorist attacks, the entry of even a small number of
potentially dangerous individuals should warrant major attention
and policy review. In the final chapter, the editors review the
main flaws and weaknesses in Canada's immigration and asylum
systems and outline a broad agenda for how to fix the main
weaknesses in Canada's policies.
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