1. On file hereunder is a letter dated May 10, 1960, from the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of The West Indies,† urging that Canada increase the movement of domestic servants from that country by 100, including 20 male workers.

2. The Immigration Regulations restrict the admission of immigrants from The West Indies to close relatives. Notwithstanding this, the authority of the Governor-in-Council is sought each year (since 1955) for the admission of a number of female domestic servants selected and trained in The West Indies. In 1960, 250 such workers are being accepted from The West Indies as well as 30 from British Guiana. Aside from such workers Order-in-Council authority is also sought from time to time for the admission of West Indians with special qualifications, very often persons who have studied in Canada.

3. The proposal by the West Indian Minister of Labour and Social Affairs now opens up the whole question of immigration from The West Indies as well as coloured immigration generally.

4. Canada has a real and continuing need for domestic servants and the admission of such workers from countries like The West Indies or Greece as is done presently does provide a short-term remedy to the problem. Once in Canada however, these girls, as soon as they are established, are free to apply for the admission of their relatives and fiancés. Girls chosen as domestic servants are either from the lower classes in their own countries, in which case the relatives they sponsor are likely to be unskilled workers, or if they are superior types they are unlikely to remain in domestic service for long.

5. We are in a most difficult position with respect to domestic servants. There is a well known shortage of such workers in Canada and it is most difficult to turn down requests such as that made by the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of The West Indies for increased movements of these workers. At the same time the admission of such workers meets only a short-term need and may be creating future problems.

6. If it is intended to continue admitting a fairly large number of immigrants from The West Indies (the average in the past four years has been 1,000 to 1,200 annually) it would be preferable to select skilled workers and persons of superior qualifications rather than domestic servants. Although these countries do not say so surely there must be some resentment about the fact that the only people Canada seems to want from their country are female domestic servants. On the other hand if we are not prepared to continue this substantial movement from The West Indies, or to increase it, then we should try to explain our position to the Government of The West Indies in an honest straight-forward way.

7. This question involves policy at its highest level. Commonwealth relations are involved here more than strictly immigration considerations. I can only suggest, as a recommendation from this Branch, that no action be taken upon this matter until the Minister has had an opportunity to consider the papers on Immigration policy which were prepared by this Branch, and by the Director of Economic and Social Research of this Department. Once the Government has come to some conclusion on basic Immigration policy, including the racial question, it should be possible to reach decisions on specific Immigration movements.

8. I am attaching an interim reply for the Minister's signature to the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs for The West Indies.†