Free movment between UK, NZ, Aus, and Canada?
Nov 6th 2015, 11:57 pm
#1
He/him
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: WA
Posts: 18,837
Free movment between UK, NZ, Aus, and Canada?
Free movement between Canada, UK, New Zealand and Australia.
About Us ~ The Commonwealth Freedom of Movement Organisation
He talks about the Commonwealth, but the countries discussed are not all the countries of the Commonwealth Realms (PNG, Belize, Jamaica not included), never mind the Commonwealth of Nations.(Cameroon, India, Kenya amongst those ignored). Am I alone in thinking that it is a step backwards to have our immigration policies dictated by countries being highly white? Which is what I suspect is the motivator here.
Skinner, who is the founder and executive director of the Commonwealth Freedom of Movement Organization, is calling on politicians in Canada, the U.K., Australia and New Zealand to loosen restrictions on visas and work permits between the four countries. He says citizens within the European Union can work and reside indefinitely in each of the 28 member states, and a similar policy occurs between Australia and New Zealand. There's no reason why something similar can't happen between Canada, the U.K., Australia and New Zealand, he argued. "We've had that Commonwealth tie for generations and decades in the past, we've stuck together through thick and thin, [we] share the same head of state, the same native language, the same respect for the common law," he said.
He talks about the Commonwealth, but the countries discussed are not all the countries of the Commonwealth Realms (PNG, Belize, Jamaica not included), never mind the Commonwealth of Nations.(Cameroon, India, Kenya amongst those ignored). Am I alone in thinking that it is a step backwards to have our immigration policies dictated by countries being highly white? Which is what I suspect is the motivator here.
Last edited by kimilseung; Nov 6th 2015 at 11:59 pm.
Nov 7th 2015, 12:00 am
#2
Joined: Feb 2012
Location: Not in Paris
Posts: 18,193
Re: Free movment between UK, NZ, Aus, and Canada?
More to do with how rich and stable those nations are relative to the rest of the Commonwealth.
Nov 7th 2015, 2:17 am
#3
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,446
Re: Free movment between UK, NZ, Aus, and Canada?
And therefore that there is unlikely to be massive tidal flows into any one country, i.e. that flows will substantially net off against each other.
Nov 7th 2015, 3:09 pm
#4
Bloody Yank
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: USA! USA!
Posts: 4,186
Re: Free movment between UK, NZ, Aus, and Canada?
Mr Skinner founded the organisation after his own experience moving from the UK to Melbourne, Australia, where he encountered difficulties establishing permanent residency.
He ultimately ended up in Vancouver, Canada, but he does not hold permanent residency.
He ultimately ended up in Vancouver, Canada, but he does not hold permanent residency.
It seems to be somewhat personal. The founder of the group encountered immigration issues that were a PITA for him, and he's focusing on the places that most interest him.
A proposal that was open to all of the Commonwealth nations would never fly because of fears of mass immigration from poorer countries. Something more narrow such as this might have better odds of winning approval.
Nov 7th 2015, 6:36 pm
#5
Dichotomus tinker
Joined: Aug 2013
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 6,678
Re: Free movment between UK, NZ, Aus, and Canada?
I'd like to see this die quickly & likely its never going to happen & why should it?
Seems the founder indeed has something up his 'whatever' doing this
https://ca.linkedin.com/in/jrskinner
Seems the founder indeed has something up his 'whatever' doing this
https://ca.linkedin.com/in/jrskinner
Nov 7th 2015, 6:46 pm
#6
He/him
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: WA
Posts: 18,837
Re: Free movment between UK, NZ, Aus, and Canada?
As has been pointed out the four countries in question are socially and economically stable. If the four were just added to a list of free movement, I do not think I would bat an eye lid. I have been trying to work out what gets under my skin about it, at the moment I think it must be the appropriation, and reduction in its meaning, of the word Commonwealth, to fit his goal.
Nov 7th 2015, 7:02 pm
#7
Bloody Yank
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: USA! USA!
Posts: 4,186
Re: Free movment between UK, NZ, Aus, and Canada?
It could be pitched as a sort of logical extension of the working holiday visa program.
Nov 7th 2015, 11:25 pm
#8
Joined: Feb 2012
Location: Not in Paris
Posts: 18,193
Re: Free movment between UK, NZ, Aus, and Canada?
Indeed. If the UK was to cut its ties with Europe completely in terms of freedom of movement then it would make more sense to have a Common Travel Area made up of the Five Eyes countries minus the USA. If you wanted to include the USA then the freedom of movement needn't even be absolute, for instance implementing something akin to the US E-3 visa for all the countries involved.
Last edited by BritInParis; Nov 7th 2015 at 11:28 pm.
Nov 13th 2015, 9:11 pm
#9
Grumpy Know-it-all
Joined: Jul 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 8,928
Re: Free movment between UK, NZ, Aus, and Canada?
I think it's a bad idea and it will never happen.
There's no way Canada is going to give preferential treatment to that degree to British citizens, Québec would go bonkers.
NZ and Australia already have a free movement agreement and the UK will never do it because it's grasping at any straw to offset inward migration from the EU.
I mean, there is free movement in the EEA and in Australia/NZ and Canada and the US will probably never follow suit because Americans are paranoid about immigration and Canada is worried about a brain drain to the US.
There's no way Canada is going to give preferential treatment to that degree to British citizens, Québec would go bonkers.
NZ and Australia already have a free movement agreement and the UK will never do it because it's grasping at any straw to offset inward migration from the EU.
I mean, there is free movement in the EEA and in Australia/NZ and Canada and the US will probably never follow suit because Americans are paranoid about immigration and Canada is worried about a brain drain to the US.
