We get the lettuce pickers with criminal records from Guatemala who get a DUI every month, and the overweight women from Mexico who drop anchor babies in our ERs, and the Canadians get the hot Czech strippers?
Posted on 08/16/2007 8:33:29 AM PDT by jmyrlefuller
Sylvia Calkovska would love to go back to her native Czech Republic for her brother's wedding in the fall.
But the 30-year-old exotic dancer at Club Pro in Concord has been in Canada on a work permit for the past four years and she's afraid if she leaves, she won't get back in.
She was among about 100 dancers and adult entertainment industry owners and managers who met at Toronto City Hall last night to lobby against Ottawa's proposed immigration law amendments.
They say the new policy would ban foreign strippers from coming to Canada and penalize those already here by blocking their return if they were to go home for a visit.
The immigration bill, expected to become law in the fall, is intended to protect vulnerable non-English-speaking women from being exploited.
The Adult Entertainment Association, representing 53 Ontario strip clubs, says the industry is suffering from a labour shortage that can only be filled by foreign workers.
Instead of barring foreign women from coming here, the association is recommending that it undertake to introduce a rigorous self-inspection system, that the sponsors of foreign dancers undergo reference checks and that the club owners underwrite an education and awareness program and toll-free hotline so that women in distress would know their rights and have somewhere to turn.
Executive director Tim Lambrinos claims five Toronto-area clubs have gone bust in the last four years, due in part to a shortage of dancers. About 700 of the estimated 2,000 exotic dancers in Canada are from abroad, and about 100 of them are thought to be working in the Toronto area, he said.
Last night, Lambrinos accused the government of making the "most offensive" allegations to the effect "that exotic dancing is considered to be humiliating and degrading work."
Where foreign dancers used to be fast tracked into the country, they're now being subjected to the same immigration scrutiny as other workers. And in the last two years, 98 per cent of applications are being rejected, said Lambrinos.
In 2005, immigration minister Judy Sgro resigned from cabinet over allegations she fast-tracked a visa extension for a dancer who worked on her campaign. The accusation was later withdrawn.
Bill C-57 coming up in Parliament has the potential to drive women underground and make getting into Canada even harder for some who may have other skills and education, says a University of Toronto law professor who has studied the adult entertainment industry.
53 strip clubs in ontario? when is the next bus there, eh?
TTIUWOP
It’s really hard to tell if this story is legitimate without pictures.
Doing the jobs that Canadian’s won’t do! ;^)
I think that’s a low-ball estimate actually...
We get the lettuce pickers with criminal records from Guatemala who get a DUI every month, and the overweight women from Mexico who drop anchor babies in our ERs, and the Canadians get the hot Czech strippers?
This is ridiculous.
***says the industry is suffering from a labour shortage that can only be filled by foreign workers.***
Just doing the jobs ordinary Canadians won’t do.
I’m shocked that no one has posted any photos of these poor distressed Czech ladies.
We fought them, beat them and paid for the land. There is nothing in this country that belongs to Mexico.
Now you know why all those guys on the "Ice Road Truckers" TV show are always complaining they are never pocketing any money.
Just off the top of my head I can think of many millions of things that are in this country that belongs to Mexico.....
What’s an anchor baby?
Hmmm. Do they play Beer Hunter topless?
I wasn't sure if you were joking, but here is the Wikipedia answer anyway:
... Tacos?
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