Canada after 11 September: Security measures and "preferredimmigrants

The Canadian government's department of immigration-Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)-has strengthened existing and developed new partnerships with the United States and with other governments, law enforcement agencies, and private sector groups in Canada, leading to broader governing policies and actions related to immigration. To gain an understanding of these changes, we begin by considering highlights of the development of immigration and multiculturalism policies in Canada. Next we examine recent legislative changes that redefine immigrants as potential threats to security, moving coercive forms of control from traditional law-enforcement domains into immigration. This increased focus on security threats broadens the target from the individual to the group while at the same time it trades protection of civil liberties for protection of national security. Finally, we discuss the progression of public responses following 11 September.