John wrote:

>
> > I don't question that there is benefit to all of them learning English. My problem is
> > with getting stuck with the bill. They are the immigrants. They came here fore a
> > better life <?>. We didn't go there. They should pay for their own language lessons.
>
> Cheaper than welfare?

Screw that. I don't think that welfare should be an option for immigrants. That comes out
of money that our citizens have been paying into. It's sort of like collecting on an
insurance policy without every having paid into it.
If people think that it is important to have ESL languages for immigrants and refugees,
then by all means get together with like minded people and volunteer your time and effort.
I don't think that it should be coming out of the education budget.


> >
> > > Also refugees are a different matter. They didn't necessarrily plan on
> > > coming here they just wanted to get out of wherever with a whole skin.
> >
> > Given the number of bogus refugee claims, I would suggest that most of them are
> > either jumping the immigration or simply getting loose and disappearing in the
> > underground market.
>
> Doubt it but we would have to check the figures and I have no idea
> where they would be. There's bound to be a few queue jumpers but even
> understaffed etc as they are Immigration probably gets most of them.
>
> John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

The number of refugee claims that are successful averages around 48%. More than half are
rejected as not being credible. Some arrive with false papers and some arrive without any.
I have flown internationally from European airports and I know the procedure. You have to
show your passport when you check in with the airline. You have to show it again when you
go through security clearance. You have to show it when you arrive at the departure
lounge, then again when you leave there to the ramp to the plane, and once more when as you
board the plane. That's 5 times that you have to show your passport from the time you
arrive at the airport until the time you actually board the plane. Some off them arrive
with no papers. As far as I am concerned, they have already proved themselves to be
unreliable and should be sent right back.

A few years ago there were a number of boats full of Chinese refugees who washed up on the
west coast. More than half of them disappeared before they cases were heard.