Why does our government love red tape?

Awhile ago I posted about the "exciting" news of Bill C-14 and how the government was pledging to speed up the immigration process to allow adoptive children to come home sooner (currently it takes around 6 months for a visa and 3 months for a court date). Well, since then things have become very confusing.


Recently, our agency (Kidslink) sent out an email encouraging families to choose the new route (Citizenship route). However, two other agencies that are well-respected have sent emails out to their clients saying don't go the new route! Thankfully, we don't have to decide quite yet. Now, I do NOT blame our agencies for the confusing and contradictory information at all. I only blame our government for creating a new law that doesn't really make anything easier and for having a very unattractive and confusing website.

Here are a few quotes from different agencies. If you read these, you will see just how confusing this whole thing really is:

CAFAC:
"While the intent of the Bill C-14 was to help adopted children become citizens faster/easier- what in fact has resulted is no such thing....It is undoubtedly a "feel good" piece of legislation. While the hope was that this would implement a less complicated and automatic stream for adopted children to become CDN citizens - the reality is that the legislation has only brought into place a new application process with it's own time line, fees, and complications. ... as the ramifications of this new legislation have been coming back to CDN IMM officers, this new process has in fact created a few monsters of its own. One predictable and confirmed response by the countries children are adopted from is that they will not allow their children to depart on CDN passports."

Sunrise Adoption Agency (Vancouver):
"The two steps that may be eliminated under the new procedures are the application for a Visa and the child's foreign immigration medical, but that will only happen in some cases. The new citizenship law may not meet the high expectations adopting parents have for it. The law will not grant "automatic citizenship." Citizenship will be granted abroad if there is an adoption order in place before coming home and if the Immigration Officer is satisfied that certain requirements have been met." (*Note, there is no appeal process for the new route).

Kidslink:
"Although you still have the choice of obtaining a Permanent Resident Visa or Citizenship for your child, the Canadian High Commission in Nairobi and the Canadian Embassy in Addis are preparing themselves for citizenship processing and are asking us to encourage families to apply for citizenship."



Now, I just wish someone could clearly tell us WHY the new route really is better and how EXACTLY it will bring our children home sooner. So far, it looks like we have to wait and see and parents are basically just being asked to choose the one that they feel the most comfortable with. I just don't understand why the government would create a law that doesn't have an appeal process and that doesn't take into account the fact that some countries don't allow children to go home on Canadian passports. Plus, shouldn't the government accept the decision that was made in court regarding the child's eligibility for adoption? It almost appears like the new method has to make this decision all over again. Maybe not, but the whole thing feels a little scary.

Okay, I'm done ranting.