Re: Canadian Values
 

What were the stories?

Re: Canadian Values
 

Yes you've already said that it's not Christianity you're bothered about. I would continue to engage but the whistling is upsetting my dog.

Re: Canadian Values
 

Perhaps this CBC article explains some of it
Evacuation: The lessons of Lebanon - Inside Politics

Re: Canadian Values
 

That doesn't explain the stories of ingratitude mentioned by Plastic Canuck.

Re: Canadian Values
 

Well I can't comment on what stories he heard. There were discussions about the cost of the evacuation and that after several months nearly all of them returned to the Lebanon. They were citizens of convenience. They only intended to return to Canada to retire and get better health benefits or any other benefits available to retirees. The evacuees were complaining about the method of being evacuated i.e. economy class on commercial airlines or a very slow boat with no modern frills.

I wonder what would happen if Canada suffered a catastrophic event how many Brits would need evacuating back to the UK and how the UK Govt would deal with it and how these expats would be looked upon by the UK residents?

Re: Canadian Values
 

This happened over 10 years ago so I can't recall specifics other than what FL stated in last sentence of his first paragraph above. It may seem picayune now but at the time with the costs being quoted, people in Canada became enraged at these ungrateful people.

Re: Canadian Values
 

So Canadians only want to help people who will appear grateful and say how lovely Canada is, with no concern for what they may have needed rescuing from or that circumstances unexpectedly changed for the better?

Sounds like Canadian values to me.

Re: Canadian Values
 

Wikipedia says that in the 2006 war 22,000 British citizens were evacuated from Lebanon. The Red Cross says that the majority of the million people evacuated from Lebanon returned mostly to find their homes uninhabitable. I haven't been able to find any other references to the people of the country carrying out the rescue complaining about ungrateful dual citizens.

Re: Canadian Values
 

This was in the Harper era where offering help to brown people, especially muzzies, was done, at best, through gritted teeth. And, if it had to be done, at least you could get some political capital by stirring up some anti brown sentiment in the "old stock" Canadians.

Re: Canadian Values
 

From FL's CBC article it sounds like the evacuated Lebanese were dual nationals who had previously gained Canadian citizenship, but had returned to live Lebanon. Is that what happened?

Re: Canadian Values
 

I don't recall it being an issue in the US either, the biggest issue there at the time over it all seemed to be the perception the State Dept was taking too long and that they had initially made people sign promissory notes.

Re: Canadian Values
 

Not as simple as that. Many of the Lebanese had gained citizenship either through birth in Canada and then went to the Lebanon at a very early age or had it passed on by having a parent who was a Canadian citizen but they themselves were born in the Lebanon.

Old Citizenship Act.
you were born outside Canada and at least one of your parents was born in Canada,
you were born outside Canada and at least one of your parents was naturalized in Canada before your birth,

Many of them had never lived in Canada but were Canadian citizens as seen above. Their parents had registered their births and applied for Citizenship Certificates therefore eligible to apply for Canadian passports.
It cost approx $100 million regarding the evacuation and within 12 months most returned to the Lebanon. This is what caused the comments by some.

There are many on here who have both Canadian and UK citizenship living in Canada. Dual citizens cannot be deported from Canada but it does ask the question if an expat living in Canada got into serious trouble would you even consider asking the UK Embassy/Consulate for assistance? You have that option.

Canadian citizenship is seen by some countries who allow dual citizenship to be like winning the lottery. As citizenship can be passed on though not as liberally now with the new changes to the Act such as this clause
you are born outside Canada to Canadian parent(s) on or after April 17, 2009, but neither parent was born or naturalized in Canada you are not a Canadian citizen.

So effectively you could be a Canadian citizen having never lived in Canada and 70 years later you now make the decision to now live in Canada. Why is that you think?

Im just the messenger these are not my personal views.

Re: Canadian Values
 

Thanks for the clarifying comments. $100 MN is small change if it saved a few lives.

Re: Canadian Values
 

But it's all okay as we got Lennox Lewis back, we gained Greg Rusedski and then Owen Hargreaves played football for England never having lived or worked in England so it all evens out.

Not to mention Zola Budd :rofl:

Re: Canadian Values
 

As a citizen of convenience, I think of it more as winning at the church hall tombola. A Canadian passport simplifies procedures at the US border, I think that's it for me. I believe other dual citizens see it as being less desirable but easier to obtain than an American one.

I think bats nailed the Harper government at "bigoted and churlish".

Re: Canadian Values
 

Re Brits being evacuated back to the UK. I believe there are many examples of the UK taking extraordinary measures to protect UK citizens. The Falklands, Uganda, and others. To my mind, the Uganda evacuation was the best example of what a nation ( the UK in this case) can and should do for its citizens irrespective of whos/hows/wherefores citizenship was obtained or even if dual nationality was held.

Would anyone on this forum surrender UK Citizenship if Canada ever legislated against dual nationality? From conversations it seems Italian Canadians, Greek Canadians and Portuguese Canadians dont particularly care and would surrender their country of origin citizenships.

Re: Canadian Values
 

Really? There's a "Maltese chap" on here who might disagree with that, and I can never imagine a Greek or Italian being indifferent about his citizenship.

Re: Canadian Values
 

They did. Alive.

Perhaps you've forgotten that the 2006 evacuation came about because Hezbollah abducted TWO Israeli soldiers from across the northern border and that Israel's "proportionate" "measured" response was to unleash a full on assault by air. land and sea against the civilian populations of Beirut, Tyre and most of the rest of Lebanon.

Of course Canada could have made a distinction between Canadians and "Canadians" but Harper was new then and took a bit longer to reveal that he was a racist.

Re: Canadian Values
 

With the distinction of old stock and new stock, "Canadian" and Canadian, the illustrious economist Harper and Conservatives even today, could well have uncovered a terrible truth?. That in everything, from application of the Charter and laws, to education and general social interaction, Canadian values are segmented and cannot be anticipated with any sense of assuredness. Dont know if this is fact, but heck, it must frighten the thinking generations that follow.

Re: Canadian Values
 

I knew my ballistic vest would come in handy once I posted an article and then opinions on what was said by others not by me or my thoughts on the subject:lol:

Yes Im aware of what happened in 2006. The Canadians in Lebanon were evacuated and thousands were brought back to Canada by various means.
Now any disparaging comments made about this evacuation were made by some Canadians I was just reporting what had been said or what I know to have been said by various media sources in 2006.

I benefit from dual citizenship but I have my own thoughts on the subject of dual citizenship.

Re: Canadian Values
 

This.

Re: Canadian Values
 

Yeah no. You can pry my dual citizenship from my cold, dead hands.... :lol:

+1 to that. I can also think of alot of people on here who wouldn't be indifferent to losing their UK citizenship and rightfully so.