The charge that Canadian immigration laws have been interpreted in a manner which hindered Jewish immigration was made here yesterday by Saul Hayes, executive director of the Canadian Jewish Congress, testifying before the Senate Committee on Immigration.
The Jews have “received a very low priority,” Hayes declared, warning that “this is a chapter in the history of Canadian administration which must be cleared up” lest the dominion be “criticized for practicing racial discrimination long before Hitler ever came to power.” He appealed for changes in the immigration regulations which would permit the entrance of more of Hitler’s victims to this country. He asserted that because many applications for immigration were turned down in the last decade due to the inelasticity of Canada’s immigration code, the bones and ashes of many Jews lie buried in the Buchenwald death camp.
Hayes concluded his testimony with the presentation of four demands: that the present regulations governing the entry of kin of Canadian residents be liberalized to include first cousins, nephews and nieces over the age of 16, married brothers and sisters, and aunts and uncles; that race discriminatory clauses be removed from the immigration act and regulations based upon it; that Jewish nationals of former enemy countries be classified as victims of racial and religious persecution for purposes of immigration; and that 1,000 Jewish orphans below the age of 18 be admitted to the dominion.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
