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是真事,但还要经过漫长的审议及批准
:: MPs Give Grewal Bill the Go Ahead
7 f# ]9 x- p d4 ]5 E& C:: Posted on 11 Mar 2005 by Marian Meinen.
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Proposed Law will Reform Visitor Visa System
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* R4 F. A3 o }3 i. F* V" u3 POttawa – Members of Parliament last night voted in favour of Bill C-283, sending the proposed legislation to the Citizenship and Immigration Committee for review. The bill, written and sponsored by Newton-North Delta MP Gurmant Grewal, would allow Canadian citizens and landed immigrates to sponsor visitor visa applicants after an initial refusal. . W/ R9 K7 d0 E* x& R4 c% Q9 |' X( [
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“I was pleased by the widespread support given to my bill,” said Grewal, whose bill passed second reading by a 165-112 vote. “MPs from the Conservative Party, the Bloc, and the NDP all voted in mass for my bill, as did a significant number of Liberals, including the Chair of the Immigration Committee who seconded the bill. Paul Martin tried every trick to defeat the bill, but you cannot defeat a good idea, even one coming from the Opposition.”. E1 w* m- @7 `3 [ z4 H- ~
f! S3 L$ V/ U: {7 q' N, GMr. Grewal has once before beaten the odds and successfully enshrined a bill into law. When his Bill C-205 became law it was one of only 17 among 1,644 private members’ bills passed since 1997.3 t- w$ @ h+ a3 n
) F9 N) a/ G$ K$ h“Support for the bill stems from the benefits it will bring to Canadians,” continued Grewal. “Too often we hear stories of mothers and fathers prohibited from coming to Canada for weddings, or sons and daughters stopped from attending funerals. Current rules are vague, ineffective, and lack compassion; as a result they keep families apart, don’t serve the intended purpose, and are often abused. There needs to be alternatives – options for when an overworked immigration officer makes a subjective decision to bar a foreign national from visiting Canada.”
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6 I/ w. b1 e, [7 K4 q2 Z! F4 e“Sponsorship gives people an option. It would give immigration officers stronger evidence that a legitimate visitor intends to return home after their trip. This is an idea whose time has come. It will not only facilitate legitimate visitors but also increase the return rate to the country of origin.”9 @- D) f) o- I! F& R+ E4 \5 J
5 z- M( p2 T' t9 H' W" d“There have been concerns expressed about some details of the bill. I leave these for the Immigration Committee to consider and am open to any amendments they recommend. It has never been my intention to tramp on someone’s rights or propose a punitive amount for the guarantee or bond,” said Grewal. 4 {5 q8 _5 k" p! d0 @, b2 Y
, e3 D% S; M; w" m1 a' A5 o! VBill C-283 will now move on to the Citizenship and Immigration Committee where members will consider the bill in detail and make recommendations for amendments such if any. Once they have concluded study the bill returns to the House of Commons for final debate and vote probably sometime in the fall. |
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