Shafias - letter to the Sun - Jan 30th

Shafias and immigration


I applaud the Sun for its coverage of the Shafia trial results but there are a few
points that should have been discussed. The first is the cost. It will cost Canada
at least 1 million dollars for the trial itself and undoubtedly more for the appeals.
In addition it will cost Canada about $100,000 per year per person to keep these
three misfits in prison in Canada. The cost benefits from immigration are already being questioned.Surely only a few of these types of cases or "group of 18" cases will negate any benefits that Canada has from immigration. The next question is why we let the Shafias enter Canada at all when it seems obvious that they had no intention of assimilating or adopting any of our culture? Surely simple cultural questions by our immigration officers could have determined that Mr. and Mrs. Shafia would never adopt Canadian customs. Lastly the Sun correctly congratulated the Jury for their efforts and moral stance. It is true that the jury based their decision on Canadian values but it should not be forgotten that their values and our whole justice system is based on Judea-Christian moral values and that they have served us well and should be continued to be appreciated.