Inequality in International Immigration

It just dawned on me that there is a practice in international immigration that no one has ever commented on, and that is inequality of treatment accorded to citizens as opposed to non-citizens at points of entry or departure from certain countries. Canada treats all entrants and exitrants to its borders equally, ie there are no separate lines for "Canadian Residents" and "Non-Canadian residents" of foreigners. I am aware of the legitimate purpose and longstanding rationale that foreigners have no legal right to enter and remain in a country of which they are not citizens. But this is different from the practice of outright discrimination and unequal treatment for no reason at all other than that someone is a foreigner.
This is what I mean. In Mid-June 2005, I left Canada for USA, Brazil, South Africa and Zambia. For the first time, I noticed that there are two lines for people traveling to the US: one for "US Residents" and one for "Non-US residents" or "Aliens". The one for US residents was short. The one for Non-USA residents was long, winding and hardly moving at all. But that was a piece of cake compared to what I found in Brazil. We all arrived at the same time, in fact we were all coming led with Brazilian citizens when we traveled and arrived in Sao Paul. But then at intervals, the Brazilian customs and immigration officers would come to the line-there was only line for everybody, and would call out only Brazilian Citizens to be processed first. We foreigners would be left behind.
Brazilians who arrived by later planes would also be removed from the line even if they were at the back of the line and processed first. I recalled that there was no such practice in my homeland Canada. The calling and fast-tracking of Brazilian citizens continued for about an hour and there we were foreigners in the sweltering heat left standing there. This was atrocious. I started to inquire into the reasons for this unequal treatment. I was told that that is how they do things in Brazil.
I challenged the officer because I had been to Brazil in 2000 and there was no such unequal treatment between Brazilians and foreigners. I asked to see the manager. The manager came and explained that he was sorry but unfortunately, that is how things were done around there. My protest was now joined by my neighbours and we started making quite a bit of noise.
I have never seen some thing quite like that discriminatory treatment for no basis whatsoever. I have passed through Europe and there are a lot of airports that have two lines: one for European Union citizens and one for Non-European Union Citizens, but both lines move quickly and there is no basis for complaining. But in Brazil, there is only one line and citizens are called at random intervals to be processed ahead of non-citizens. This can be very vexing, taxing and annoying when you are hungry, it is hot, you have been traveling for nine hours and there is no justification for it.
In South Africa, I discovered that there are two lines as well: one for "South Africans and other citizens of African countries" and one for "Citizens of other countries". Both lines were moving quite fast. There is no basis for complaining there as well.
In Zambia, there are three lines, one for Zambian Residents, one for Non-residents and the third for diplomats. All lines were moving fast. I had no cause to complain.
I cherish being a Canadian Citizen where there in no discrimination at the point of entry or departure from Canada. Racial profiling is in another category all together and it is the subject of litigation which merits another article. The Brazilian practice and other discriminatory practices will be the subject of a UN complaint. Non-citizenship should not be the basis of unequal and discriminatroy treatment for no justification whatsoever. In the meantime, Canada must be applauded for treating or attempting to treat all citizens of the world equally at its borders.

Munyonzwe Hamalengwa Barrister and Solicitor 100 Westmore Drive Unit 18A Toronto, Ontario M9V 5C3

Email: mhamalengwa@sympatico.ca or forthedefence@yahoo.ca (416)644-1106 __________________________________________________