Regularization of the undocumented in Canada : lessons from Europe and the United States

During the past decade, the number of undocumented people has been by far the most rapidly rising immigrant population worldwide. In Canada, the number of individuals living without a legal status is estimated around 200,000 to 600,000. Therefore, this issue has become increasing difficult for governments to ignore. Many countries around the world have implemented regularization programs as policy solutions to the issue of undocumented people residing within their borders. This study examines the different criteria and reasons based on which countries in Europe, the United States, and Canada have implemented or proposed regularization programs. The aim is to propose possible regularization criteria and options that Canada could take into consideration as policy solutions to deal with the undocumented residents currently in the country.