Canada May Reopen Doors to Immigration This Year: Statement to J.t.a. by High Canadian Government of

The time is not far off when the tightness of the Canadian immigration restrictions will be relaxed, a high Canadian Government official told the J.T.A. representative here to-day, intimating that the first to benefit by the new immigration facilities will be relatives of Canadian residents. The change may be expected during the present year, he further indicated.

Immigration into Canada from Central and Eastern Europe was temporarily stopped by an Order-in-Council issued by the newly-elected Canadian Government last August, in an attempt to relieve the widespread unemployment in the Dominion. The Order, it was explained, would be effective as long as unemployment remains acute. At first, it was thought that Jewish immigration would not be affected, but it soon became clear that this was not the case. When the details of the new Order became available, it was seen that it revoked all immigration permits granted after March 14th., and also withheld the privilege of extension of permits after the expiration of five months, which was previously possible. Many thousands of Jewish immigrants came in under the permit system in the past. The new regulations have also stopped the entry of brothers and sisters of Canadian residents, permitting only the wives of Canadian residents and the children under eighteen of Canadian residents to be admitted.

The Jewish immigration organisation, Hicem, in an official statement issued through the J.T.A. explained that the report that the new order of the Canadian Government, restricting immigration into the Dominion did not affect Jewish immigration was unfortunately not altogether correct. Articles 2, 3, 7, and 8 of the old order, known as P.C. 183, it went on, have been suppressed. This means that henceforth entry into Canada will no longer be permitted to immigrants who come under the following categories: Agricultural labourers, servants, father or mother, or married child over the age of 18 years, or unmarried brother or sister, of persons legally resident in Canada, and people who were previously given the right of entry by the Ministry as desirable elements. Under these conditions, the only people now admitted into Canada are women and unmarried children under the age of 18 going out to reside with their husbands or fathers, who are legally resident in Canada. This provision restricts immigrants from entering Canada, and thus annuls the system of permits.

Since the great majority of Jewish immigrants entering Canada were mostly parents and servants, the statement added, Jewish immigration will be found to be appreciably affected.

Over 4,000 Jewish immigrants came into Canada during the year 1929, and nearly as many during 1930. Despite the operation of the new immigration restriction order, the Jewish immigrant Aid Society of Canada reported at the beginning of hat since August 14th., 1930, when the new order went into effect, its Port representatives had met over 2,000 Jews at the ports.

The doors of Canada will open as soon as the unemployment crisis is over, the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society of Canada declared in the same statement in which this report was made, and the Society, it urged, must be in a position to give active support to the demand of Canadian Jewry for its rightful share in the number of immigrants who will be allowed to come forward.