Canada's immigration policy bans common Sikh names

[CBC News]

A Calgary woman waiting for her husband to arrive in Canada is upset by a long-standing immigration policy that forces people with the surname Singh or Kaur to change their last names.
Tarvinder Kaur, who is pregnant, said her husband Jaspal Singh's application to become a permanent resident has been delayed for well over a month because of his last name.
He has no choice but to legally change his name in India so he can get to Calgary before she gives birth next month, she said.
CBC News has obtained a copy of a letter sent from the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi to Singh's family stating that "the names Kaur and Singh do not qualify for the purpose of immigration to Canada."
Singh and Kaur are common names in the Sikh community. In a tradition that began more than 300 years ago, the name Singh is given to every baptized male and Kaur to every baptized female Sikh.
Full story
Is Ottawa justified in asking people to change their cultural identity to live in Canada?



More...

 

[Unforgiven]

We have our regulations, you can choose not to come to Canada.

 

[MikeyDB]

Right ON!

Although it's probably a great policy from the perspective of reducing the costs of coffee mugs and little statuettes on father's day.....

 

[sila]

This is an absurd rule.
I don't see anything but discrimination here.

 

[DurkaDurka]

This is an absurd rule.
I don't see anything but discrimination here.

I watched the CBC report about this last night, the reason they ask them to change their name before applying for residency is to reduce paperwork and get their application processed more quickly.

 

[#juan]

Let's have 10 or 15,000 new emigrants with only either Singh, or Kaur as sir names. Doesn't bother me but it must be hell for those trying to make sense of the paperwork.

 

[triedit]

It is an absurd rule, but Im with the "you don't have to come here" team. I had to jump through a few hoops to get in. I would have changed my name.

 

[Twila]

I do payroll for a plant that had 2 people with the EXACT same name. This creates such an immense hassle.

I can only imagine the headache of country trying to deal with the exact same name.

My grandparents had to change their last name. Some letters just don't exist in English.

 

[triedit]

I have the same name as a politcal figure in Saskatoon. Im sure he's not amused.

We also use the same national bank. I discovered this when they were going to give me a credit line based on his rating *grin*

 

[Zzarchov]

I'd like to point out we require similar rules from many cultures with different alphabets (Eastern Europe, Arabian, Chinese, Japanese). We also require certain naming conventions from Natives.

The other option is just give everyone an ID number and have names be irrelevant. Take your pick.

 

[Twila]

Can I be no# 1? I feel sorry for the person who'd get stuck with 666. Oh wait...how about 888 wouldn't that one be sold at the highest bidder being good luck and all?

 

[karrie]

I can see the government's reasoning behind this. And it struck me that once all the paperwork is through, it probably wouldn't be such a huge deal to change it back. Although I'm not sure how the laws work surrounding that.

The report also talked about that fact that it is not a rule that is always enforced. Nor is it a rule that many people have complained about in the past. Most people seem to get why it is necessary. Like they said, it represents a major issue for privacy if five people all have the same name and can get access to eachothers files.

 

[Impetus]

Done that...Don't we all have a SIN?

I'm sure they'd love us to hand them one as they walk in...

I think those Smiths and Joneses are next...then Lees...Chows....unless you put numbers after them like hotmail addresses....John Smith69

Muz

I'd like to point out we require similar rules from many cultures with different alphabets (Eastern Europe, Arabian, Chinese, Japanese). We also require certain naming conventions from Natives.

The other option is just give everyone an ID number and have names be irrelevant. Take your pick.

 

[karrie]

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada nixed a decade-old policy on Thursday that required prospective Sikh immigrants to change their last names to avoid confusion with other Sikhs.

Because most male Sikhs have the name Singh, meaning "lion," and most females have the name Kaur, translated as "princess," Canada had required those wanting to immigrate to add a surname or use a different one.

"The names Kaur and Singh do not qualify for the purpose of immigration to Canada," the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi wrote in May to Jaspal Singh, who was applying to be a permanent resident. The letter was made public this week.

In a formal statement, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Diane Finley said: "This letter does not reflect the policy of (the Canadian) government ... I can assure you I have directed the department to ensure that this type of erroneous letter is not sent out again."

"The practice of asking applicants with the surnames Singh and Kaur to provide an additional surname was designed to help identify and differentiate applicants who shared the same first and last names," Finley added.

She also said that offering an additional surname was "entirely voluntary" and that no application would be rejected if an applicant did not offer an added name.

Harinder Gahir, a Toronto-area immigration lawyer, has dealt with about 100 name-change-related cases in the last seven years.

"I don't think there was any thought of intended discrimination," he said. "I would say it was an ill-advised policy."

Gahir said that most of his clients did not object to the policy because they wanted to avoid administrative delays.

"If they had objected, their cases would have been delayed. They chose not to do that for the sake of family reunification," he said.

"There were a few people who were quite emotional and it was a serious matter for them ... eventually they had to change it because they had no choice."

Jasbeer Singh of the World Sikh Organization in Canada was less understanding, referring to Citizenship and Immigration's explanation as "window dressing or damage control."

"The policy is offensive and they should say yes, it is, and we are getting rid of it," Singh said.

"There are more Lees and Mohammads in Canada and merely picking on Singh and Kaur, alleging that it is a common name, doesn't make sense."

 

[tamarin]

Just as long as it's not the tail wagging the dog here. Under no circumstance should immigrants be telling our government what its policies should be or what we as a nation should do.
Unless key government agencies overseeing EI, pensions and social benefits are on the ball, confusion, as always, is a bed buddy for fraud.

 

[Pangloss]

Just as long as it's not the tail wagging the dog here. Under no circumstance should immigrants be telling our government what its policies should be or what we as a nation should do.
Unless key government agencies overseeing EI, pensions and social benefits are on the ball, confusion, as always, is a bed buddy for fraud.

"Under no circumstance"?

What about a head tax? What about telling someone they couldn't practice their religion? C'mon, I could imagine an entire list of tings we could ask for that would be contrary to our sense of fair play.

Of course we maintain out sovereignty and cannot allow non-citizens to dictate domestic policy - that's a given. But when we are wrong, does it naturally follow that outsiders have no right to point this out to us?

Pangloss

 

[karrie]

Just as long as it's not the tail wagging the dog here. Under no circumstance should immigrants be telling our government what its policies should be or what we as a nation should do.
Unless key government agencies overseeing EI, pensions and social benefits are on the ball, confusion, as always, is a bed buddy for fraud.

once immigrated, all that is run by social insurance numbers. Names don't matter nearly as much by that point.

 

[#juan]

Who chooses the new names? Is there a chance that the government will call them all "Smith"?

 

[tamarin]

You don't have any right as an outsider wishing to migrate to another country to set conditions of any sort. If you don't like the ball team don't join. I expect Immigration Canada to set made in Canada policy. I don't want it deferring to any external interests. We must not have the reputation of a soft touch.

 

[karrie]

Who chooses the new names? Is there a chance that the government will call them all "Smith"?

I posted an update last night. Canada struck this policy down.