Academic Response to Canada's Immigration Policy
Irving Abella and Harold Troper have written quite a lot on the immigration policy in Canada in the 1920s and 1930s and how that policy impacted the Jewish refugees who were trying to escape the horrors of Europe at the time leading up to and during the Second World War. They express that Canada, out of all other Western countries, allowed in the smallest amount of refugees throughout the Second World War: they only let in 4000 Jews. Abella and Troper have intensely studies as to why Canada had such a small number of allowances for immigration and explore many issues that were happening within Canada.
I read the article titled "The line must be drawn somewhere: Canada and the Jewish refugees, 1933-1939." in which they outline many issues within Canada at the time of the SS St. Louis incident. Abella and Troper emphasize the fact that Canada's immigration policy was extremely closed to almost everyone, and was an ethnically centered approach to immigration. Those that did not fit the elite category that was viewed as the desired population was not welcome in Canada during this time.
Not only did the immigration policy exist because of cultural attitudes towards various groups that were trying to enter Canada, but it was upheld so strictly during this period because of the economic crisis in Canada during the 1930s.
Abella and Troper argue that the decisions of who would and would not enter Canada was almost exclusively in the hands of Frederick Blair, the Director of Immigration. If he did not want someone to enter Canada, they would not. They state the following: His inflexibility, fetish for regulations, and unchallenged control over immigration matters were a convenience to an administration that had no intention of allowing in Jewish refugees but wished to avoid the calumny of not doing so." (page 184).
Blair, under the direction of Mackenzie King, was given the control to ensure that Jews would not be allowed into Canada. Mackenzie King was "obsessed with the notion that the admittance of Jews into Canada might destroy his country." (page 188)
Although the article outlines other issues that were in play at the time that are important in understanding the overall anti-Semitic attitudes in Canada at the time, for the purpose of understanding the reasons that the SS St. Louis, examining those who were in charge is critical. Abella and Troper highlight the character and personality of both Frederick Blair and Mackenzie King and explain that their opinions on the Jewish issue were the most influential in Ottawa and in the decisions and inactions that were made throughout this period.
I read the article titled "The line must be drawn somewhere: Canada and the Jewish refugees, 1933-1939." in which they outline many issues within Canada at the time of the SS St. Louis incident. Abella and Troper emphasize the fact that Canada's immigration policy was extremely closed to almost everyone, and was an ethnically centered approach to immigration. Those that did not fit the elite category that was viewed as the desired population was not welcome in Canada during this time.
Not only did the immigration policy exist because of cultural attitudes towards various groups that were trying to enter Canada, but it was upheld so strictly during this period because of the economic crisis in Canada during the 1930s.
Abella and Troper argue that the decisions of who would and would not enter Canada was almost exclusively in the hands of Frederick Blair, the Director of Immigration. If he did not want someone to enter Canada, they would not. They state the following: His inflexibility, fetish for regulations, and unchallenged control over immigration matters were a convenience to an administration that had no intention of allowing in Jewish refugees but wished to avoid the calumny of not doing so." (page 184).
Blair, under the direction of Mackenzie King, was given the control to ensure that Jews would not be allowed into Canada. Mackenzie King was "obsessed with the notion that the admittance of Jews into Canada might destroy his country." (page 188)
Although the article outlines other issues that were in play at the time that are important in understanding the overall anti-Semitic attitudes in Canada at the time, for the purpose of understanding the reasons that the SS St. Louis, examining those who were in charge is critical. Abella and Troper highlight the character and personality of both Frederick Blair and Mackenzie King and explain that their opinions on the Jewish issue were the most influential in Ottawa and in the decisions and inactions that were made throughout this period.