Tzvi Schectman
Opinion
Canada, Immigration, and Autism: They Just Don't Mix
Last week a story in the Ottawa Citizen told the story of 17-year-old Lewis Crowe. Because he has autism the Canadian Government has banned Lewis from living in Canada and in order to visit the country he needs special permission from the immigration department. To make things worse, his father and stepmother have also been refused permanent resident cards due to the fear that they will bring Lewis with them. This is after the Crowe's told Canadian Immigration Officials that Lewis would stay with his biological mother in England and has long-term plans to enroll in a residential college for individuals with learning disabilities. The article continues to rip the immigration department for being cruel and cold hearted. As Lewis's "autism spectrum disorder might reasonably be expected to cause excessive demand" on Canada's health and social services, immigration officials ruled he was "inadmissible ... on health grounds." The Council of Canadians with Disabilities says what happened to the Crowes is unacceptable. "The CCD wants Canadian immigration policy to be brought up to date, reflecting the value people with disabilities can bring to Canada." The council also says the decision to make Lewis "inadmissible" is inconsistent with Canada's support for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. On Twitter I put the question to Stuart Duncan, a Canadian Citizen who has a child with autism. Is it fair for the Canadian Government to deny permanent residence because a child has a disability? Check out his opinion below. What are your thoughts? I would love to hear!FCMichigan:
@autismfather Is this fair? Canada bars Teen with #autism http://t.co/Q4Bw5Pg
Stuart Duncan
@FCMichigan Short answer is no, it’s never been Canada’s way to turn away people like that. The long answer however…
@FCMichigan I sort of understand, as a parent in need of services, is it fair that my quantity/quality of services diminishes each time…
@FCMichigan that someone immigrates into Canada that requires those services as well? Do we “protect our own” or “dilute” the resource pool?
@FCMichigan Customs (much like the US’s customs) are trained to expect that everyone wants in just to stay & get access to our system.
@FCMichigan That’s no excuse & those people should be allowed in. Whether their intentions are to stay or not, use resources or not.
@FCMichigan As the article says, customs needs their procedures updated, they're lacking in basic humanity skills..
@FCMichiganBut to some extent, I can understand how the decision came to be even if I feel that it never should have been made.
