The joyful side to immigration

The discovery of 39 frozen bodies found in the back of a lorry has left the country reeling. It is difficult to imagine the cruelty of the people traffickers all along the trail from Vietnam to the UK, and the sad, desperate plight of the men and women looking for a better life and sold a bunch of lies. Immigration is a toxic topic. Walls are being built in Mexico, migrant children are being put in cages on the American border, and Boris Johnson is warning migrants that “we will send you back”.

All this was in stark contrast to the unexpected conversation I had with an American friend over a Canadian Thanksgiving lunch in Toronto in October. Susan had just become a Canadian citizen.

The traditional turkey and stuffing lunch was shared by my family, and it’s fascinating to see your homeland through the eyes of someone else, especially when they well with tears. She said she found the process and the ceremony profound and emotional, and that it reminded her of the contribution all sorts of different people make to our countries.  Canadians are all about consensus and the collective, which is so much more inefficient than the American ‘just do it’ mentality.

The room in Mississauga, part of Greater Toronto, where she became a citizen was filled with more than 100 people, also about to become Canadians. In the surrounding galleries sat friends and family and members of the public, offering support and there to witness the official occasion. People were face-timing and taking pictures, and there was a tangible atmosphere of joy. We can sometimes just get overwhelmed by cynicism, so it’s good to remember that we don’t yet live in Torontonian Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale dystopia.

The presiding officials were Canadian, but not Canadian-born. The woman was from Jamaica, and the man was from the Philippines. They sat in the middle of the room.

The Canadians-to-be watched an “inspirational” film about Canada, which showed the breadth and scope of the country and its people – from images of the Rockies to Canadian flag-waving.

The official talked about how people had come to this country with nothing, often leaving family behind, and had created lives here. He talked of the obligations that come from being a citizen. It was a week before the recent election and he said it was important to vote. As new Canadians, they should know what an important role the arts played in the culture. They should get involved. That didn’t mean just going to the galleries and museums or investing, but really participating.

The inductees ranged from Ethiopian women with their children (no men). They were a collective that supported each other. There were single men, multi-generational families from India, Americans and dozens more. Some people wore traditional clothing and some dressed up.

Then you had to swear allegiance to the Queen. And you actually have to say the words, because if your lips don’t move, you can’t sign the document.

“Then,” said Susan, “comes the most extraordinary part. You have to shout.”

The official instructs the new Canadians to shout.

Everyone shouted. He said it wasn’t loud enough, because the people behind the walls, those at the beginning of the process, need to hear the shouts of happiness. Show them there’s hope. In the past four months, he said, 25,000 more people were on their way to becoming Canadians.

The group shouted, this time much louder.  An African woman ululated. There was yelling and screaming. “It was like being at a football game,” said Susan. “It was joyous. It engaged you at a very deep level and went way beyond just signing papers.”

Who knows what kind of contribution the 39 frozen immigrants would have made? Or the Chinese cockle pickers who died in Morecambe Bay. People build nations.

The Canadians all got flags. “You now have a new home,” said the official.