LUC Supports Nash’s Private Member’s Immigration Bill

OTTAWA–NDP MP Peggy Nash (Parkdale – High Park) on December 7 introduced a Private Member’s Bill, Bill C-394,  that will allow any Canadian citizen or landed immigrant to sponsor, once in their lifetime, one family member from outside the family class as defined in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

“Family reunification is key to immigration policy, and this bill is a response to that reality,” said Nash. “This is important to my riding of Parkdale – High Park whose large and vibrant immigrant population contributes so much to our riding, our city and our country,” she said.

Nash’s bill is being supported by NDP Immigration Critic, Bill Siksay (Burnaby – Douglas) who introduced a similar bill in the last Parliament.

Relatives who are currently not eligible to be sponsored under Canada’s current family reunification policies, but could be sponsored under Bill C-394 are: a son or daughter over the age of 22 who is not a dependant; an aunt or uncle; a brother or sister; a niece or nephew and a first cousin.

“The people who work directly with immigrants and their families have been telling us for years that this is the kind of legislation that we need,” said Nash who is collecting signatures on a petition in support of the bill.

The League of Ukrainian Canadians has posted an online petition in support of Bill-394, on their website, at www.lucorg.com, and is asking their members and the broader Ukrainian community to sign the petition and to contact their Members of Parliament to urge them to back the bill.