The Cabinet Committee on Immigration met on August 9 , 1958, and considered the problem of immigration from India, Pakistan and Ceylon as set out in Part VII of Cabinet Document No.142-58 and in Appendix N of the same document.

2. Generally speaking, no difficulties have been experienced insofar as immigration from Pakistan and Ceylon is concerned. However, the East Indian community in Canada has made numerous representations asking that the regulations governing immigration from India be made less rigid.

3. Immigration from India is at present governed by a quota, set under an agreement with the Government of India. There are not enough quota numbers to satisfy the desires of Canadians of East Indian origin who wish to bring their relatives to Canada. Their criticisms are difficult to answer when they point out that they come from a Commonwealth country, and yet have more difficulty getting their relatives into Canada than do people who come from non-Commonwealth countries.

4. It is considered, therefore, that a decision is necessary in order to bring about a more satisfactory situation and to eliminate the current backlog of cases of relatives who cannot be brought in because of lack of space on the quota, cases which in some instances have been outstanding for as much as eight years.

5. In view of this situation, and after study of alternate ways of dealing with the problem, the Cabinet Committee on Immigration submits the following proposals for Cabinet approval:¹¹²

   1. that the quota set under the agreement with the Government of India continue as at present;

   2. that the 398 relatives of East Indian Canadian citizens and residents, applications for the admission of whom have been made to November 30, 1957, and whose applications could not be accepted for the 1958 quota, be allowed admission by Order in Council, subject to the usual immigration requirements;

   3. that at the same time notice be given to the East Indian community that in future the quota agreement with India would be administered rigidly.

ELLEN FAIRCLOUGH

¹¹² Approuvé par le Cabinet le 24 octobre 1958./Approved by Cabinet on October 24, 1958.