Federal Safety Minister Vic Toews has defended the decision to let reality TV crews film Canadian immigration raids, despite growing public outcry and a petition calling for the Border Security series’ cancellation.
Toews was asked to end the Canadian Border Services Agency’s involvement in the controversial show at Question Period Monday, but deflected criticism of the series to illegal workers instead.
“It is important to remember that illegal immigrants cost law-abiding Canadian taxpayers tens of millions of dollars each year,” Toews said.
“We expect the CBSA to enforce Canada’s immigration laws by removing individuals who take advantage of Canada’s generous immigration system by jumping the queue.”
The Safety Minister also insisted that illegal workers’ privacy rights are respected during the filming of the reality series.
Meanwhile, more than 10,000 people, including actress Sarah Polley and activist Naomi Klein, have signed an online petition calling on the National Geographic Channel to stop airing the show.
Controversy has swirled around Border Security since a construction site raid in Vancouver last week, where several workers were questioned and detained in front of TV cameras.
Critics say it exploits the suffering of Canadian families for profit, and that the federal government should have no part in it.
The pro-immigration group No One is Illegal also claims the immigrants arrested on the show are pressured to sign release forms allowing their faces to be broadcast on TV, even though some speak little English.
Force Four Entertainment, which produces the series, insists it works under strict parameters set by the CBSA, and abides by Canadian privacy laws.
