2021-07-12: Canada: Parents are non-essential!               rak
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In today's news out of the home country: Canada is refusing to
let children return home to Canada because, apparently, being
raised by your parents is a non-essential reason to travel to
Canada.

Radio-Canada reported today that, in the name of keeping
Canadians safe, the Canadian government is refusing to allow
children of temporary residents to re-enter the country. Even if
they've been going to school in Canada for years, and even if
they're six years old and their parents live and work in Canada.

Parents can apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Canada for a special exemption, a process which can take up to
14 days. Unfortunately, parents have been doing so in vain:
Radio-Canada reports that applications to have kids return home
to Canada are being refused because

    Ce retour au Canada, pour les enfants, est de "nature
    facultative ou discrétionnaire". [Returning to Canada, for
    children, is of an "optional or discretionary nature".]

Thank-you, Justin, for your enlightened views on what children
need.

Read all about it here:
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1808099/voyage-pandemie-retour-canada-trudeau-gouvernement-ottawa

(Contrary to the popular stereotype of Canadians being kind and
welcoming, the comments on that article are pretty hateful. A
large fraction of them are along the lines of:
 * If you wanted to see your family, you should have stayed
   close to them instead of moving here.
 * What can't you understand about "avoid all NON-ESSENTIAL
   travel"?
 * The parents aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer.
 * No sympathy, you should have read the rules before
   travelling.)