Would a free-trade agreement quell the refugee flow?

[White_Unifier]

Why not have free trade between Canada and Haiti? This would allow Haitians to trade with Canada and so create more jobs in Haiti. Consequently, it would at least reduce the flow of refugees.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/new...haitian-strategy-trade-not-aid/article557945/

 

[Bar Sinister]

Why not have free trade between Canada and Haiti? This would allow Haitians to trade with Canada and so create more jobs in Haiti. Consequently, it would at least reduce the flow of refugees.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/new...haitian-strategy-trade-not-aid/article557945/

It is not quite that easy. Haiti is pretty much an economic and social basket case. It has a history of a couple of centuries of bad government; and is incredibly overcrowded. Its living standard is so low that the border with the Dominican Republic has to be heavily patrolled to stop Haitians seeking a better life from sneaking across the border. Even if the country did everything right it would probably take decades before there was any real improvement.

 

[White_Unifier]

It is not quite that easy. Haiti is pretty much an economic and social basket case. It has a history of a couple of centuries of bad government; and is incredibly overcrowded. Its living standard is so low that the border with the Dominican Republic has to be heavily patrolled to stop Haitians seeking a better life from sneaking across the border. Even if the country did everything right it would probably take decades before there was any real improvement.

I wasn't thinking of a solution within a four year government mandate, but a long term solution starting now. Short term thinking is a part of the problem.

For the short term, why not a freedom of movement agreement allowing God Haitians to work in Canada visa free. This way some of them can work and pay taxes instead of clogging our refugee courts.

 

[pgs]

I wasn't thinking of a solution within a four year government mandate, but a long term solution starting now. Short term thinking is a part of the problem.

For the short term, why not a freedom of movement agreement allowing God Haitians to work in Canada visa free. This way some of them can work and pay taxes instead of clogging our refugee courts.

You are assuming that they want to work .

 

[White_Unifier]

You are assuming that they want to work .

So why not give them visa-free access to work? Are you afraid they prove you wrong?

 

[Bar Sinister]

You are assuming that they want to work .

Why not? Haitians work like dogs in their own country.

I wasn't thinking of a solution within a four year government mandate, but a long term solution starting now. Short term thinking is a part of the problem.

For the short term, why not a freedom of movement agreement allowing God Haitians to work in Canada visa free. This way some of them can work and pay taxes instead of clogging our refugee courts.

It would certainly be a temporary solution for the Haitians now fleeing the USA.

 

[White_Unifier]

We need to consider the long term too. A FOM treaty between Canada and Haiti could solve a part of the immediate problem of clogged refugee courts since who just want to come to work could just do so with no bureaucratic hassle. Heck, they might even enter at designated entry points too.

But a long term solution to go with it could be tariff-free trade. This would allow some to develop products in Haiti itself.

To throw money at Haiti but then not want to trade with it is classical NIMBY. It's like the guy who gives to charity but then supports zoning bylaws imposing minimum parking spaces, lot sizes, etc. to discourage the poor from moving into the neighbourhood.