Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Monday, March 19, 2012

Foreign Brides Face Tighter Rules In Canada

If a foreign spouse's marriage in Canada does not last two years, he or she could be deported, according to a proposed new federal rule.

The Conservatives believe a two-year probationary period for foreign spouses would prevent men and women from getting away with immigration fraud by marrying Canadians just to get into the country.

A Canadian spokesman for Volga Girl, a North American mail-order bride company, cheered the new regulations, saying he knows some people have used the system to side-step the Canadian immigration process.

Volga Girl, which promotes web-based international marriages, hopes the new rules will "legitimize" the industry.

"Let the visa go ahead to come to Canada and then, yeah, a two-year probationary period is fine," said Mark Scrivener, whose company describes itself as the "most reliable and effective way to find your Russian wife."

"That would be very workable for me."

Regulations could prolong abusive marriage


The Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration enforced one new regulation March 2 that says a foreign spouse who ditches her new husband must wait five years after entering Canada before sponsoring a new partner.

The two-year probation is not yet in effect. It is open to public input until the beginning of April, and the ministry said it expects to have the regulation in place at the end of the summer.

One advocacy group in Ottawa said the new rules could put women in danger, especially if their Canadian husbands abuse them.

"There is a power imbalance inherent in this policy in regards to women, and if women are in abusive relationships we know that abuse is already silenced within our society," said Stephanie Lomatski, executive director of the Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women.

Lomatski said she believes women could become trapped in abusive marriages because they would fear deportation.

"This could be an additional barrier to women coming forward if she does come into this country and is in an abusive relationship," she added.

Original Article
Source: Huff
Author: cbc

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