Why didn’t former Capetonian Brandon Huntley get off his skinny backside and apply for permanent residence in Canada through the normal channels like everyone else?
Oh, for sure, the emigration process involves spending a lot of money, filling in lots of forms, and spending a lot of time in queues at home affairs, which is enough to make anyone want to slit their wrists in despair. So Huntley’s desire to get around the process is understandable. But what makes him so special? Why should he get away with not having to go through the angst and frustration of the emigration process?
Why should he enjoy treatment different from that meted out to his compatriots?
The truth is that if Huntley had applied for permanent residence like so many other South Africans — and, indeed, citizens of a vast array of other countries (why South Africans continue to think that they are so terribly unique in their desire to move elsewhere is beyond me) — the Canadians would never have allowed him in.
Why should they? He has nothing that they want. No skills, no education. The only thing he did have on his side was his age, and now that he is on the wrong side of 30, even that’s looking doubtful.
That’s the truth about labour and mobility in Thomas Friedman;s flat world. It’s all about what you have to offer. Ask yourself not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for the country you want to live in. And someone like Brandon Huntley doesn’t have very much except a sob story and a good lawyer.
For those of you who have never attempted to emigrate, I can tell you this: nothing alerts you to the brutal arithmetic of how much you are worth like applying for permanent residence in another country. You are allocated points according to your age, your education level, your fluency in English, your occupation and your experience. Later, you are poked and prodded to check that you’re healthy enough not to be a burden on the system.
You are not an individual, you are potential asset or a potential liability, and you either make the cut, or you don’t.
Don’t assume that there is any correlation between education levels, social class and your chances of getting in either. Huntley might have been an unemployed lawn sprinkler salesman — South Africa is “one redneck lighter”as Chris McEvoy put it — but that does not mean that fitters and turners are less valued than psychologists. Anything but: in fact, it is far easier to get into Australia as a tradesman than as a professional.
Besides, if we’re talking about genuine South African refugee cases, a Sudanese shopkeeper in Khayalitsha or an MDC activist surviving in the Central Methodist church probably has a far better case than Huntley. Or a farmer in a region subject to farm attacks. There, the case might have served to highlight something of genuine value, a cause that would otherwise be swept under the national carpet (which, incidentally, needs a good vacuum with some sort of national Kirby, and is now lumpy with so many other issues that have neatly covered up).
Instead, we get Brandon Huntley.
And Huntley, for all his wiles — not that it’s hard to convince the Canadians, because they are so terribly nice and polite and, as it turns out, ignorant – is a horrible embarrassment. White South Africans like to trot out a well-worn narrative about skills loss as a result of crime and affirmative action. You need us, we argue, we’re valuable, and you don’t value us enough. Ja, right. As it turns out, we’re just as happy as the most venal of ANCYL politicians to use the race card when it suits us.
As a white South African, I cringe. Maybe the Canadians will boot Huntley out after all. If he does get sent back to South Africa, perhaps somebody should advise him to get off his backside and get his head around the ins and outs of a toilet. After all, if he qualifies as a plumber, maybe the New Zealanders will want him.
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45 Responses to “Why would the Canadians want Huntley?”
You can cringe as much as you want, as far as I’m concerned, the more the better. How dare you, call Canadians ignorant! And since when is it a requirement to ‘offer’ something to a country, before getting refugee status? Also, try and find out the reasons (and since we are at it) the race of the 600+ South African refugees worldwide. Anyhow, I’ll go and have breakfast now. Bit of a bad taste in my mouth, allergic to weird people.
He’s a refugee, not an immigrant. Refugees are taken in on compassionate rather than utilitarian grounds and their applications are therefore judged by very different sets of criteria.
It is not a question of wanting. It’s the reality of Canada’s ultra flexible immigration laws. Most Canadians are not happy with how flexible the country’s laws are sometimes. Nonetheless, when a law is in place in a democracy, it has to be obeyed. The fact that the Federal Government of Canada has put in motion a review of its own Immigration Department’s Huntley decision demonstrates how democratically flexible the Canadian process is.
Well… you sure are entitled to your opinions, for those who disagree, with you and support Huntley, please inform them:
WwAwR: Why we Are white Refugees is a joint project, by various RSA bloggers, and concerned individuals….
If you have written a letter to a Canadian Official, on the Huntley White Refugee issue, please email us a copy, so that we can put it in the letter database.
Email it to: jmc.pa.tf.white-refugee@gmail.com
Talk about missing the point. Huntley may not be a great individual, but his desperation to leave is perfectly indicative of the crime problems facing us. And what makes you think he is lying? Have you seen the transcript of the refugee panels decision? Have you seen any evidence that those attacks did not happen to him? Your comments are completely judgmental with none of the facts at your disposal.What the hell happened to innocent til proven guilty?
If he is lying, fair enough he must return to SA, but personal abuse against the guy is hardly constructive. I am not embarassed about Huntley, I am embarassed that our government has done such a poor job in crime governance that a first world country like Canada views our situation as serious enough to warrant granting refugee status to a South African. I am also embarassed that instead of acknowledging the kak we are in, they shout anti-black racism at every opportunity, yet allow Malema and co to make anti-white statements with impunity. Charles Nqakula said not too long ago that whingers must leave - well Huntley has done just that.
I am not afraid because I am white. I am not afraid because others are black or Indian or coloured. I am afraid because I am the survivor of crime in South Africa. I am afraid because I anticipate that I will have to survive more crime before my life is over. I am afraid because my life has been and is governed by reckless politicians, patriarchy among the leadership, racist and unequal apartheid policies, and fear of diversity.
SO - when he perceives it to be a “me” and “them” then he has every right to be racially targeted - and of course the Canadian Government ask the South African Government spokesman Julius Malema about racist comments - yes?
Why have you not targeted any of them? Have you investigated any of their claims - after all there are another 32-33 other saffers in Canada - but then again I suppose that it is one of your traits to target those who appear to be less advantaged - after all your claim to fame is writing two books of insults - well done there Sarah - and possibly why your anger at only getting an Australian 457 visa - what good are your insulting skills in Australia!
I think you may want to add that in canada, skilled jobs are sorely lacking. There are more skilled people in Canada without jobs than anywhere in the world. Unskilled people have a better chance at work here.
The only reason why Canada is different, is that the system is a socialist one. I know many skilled South Africans who claim they are happy, but are longing to go back, because jobs are nowhere to be found.
I agree that SA has a high crime rate.However it is not possible to have a rational debate about crime in SA as this debate degenerates into political mudslinging about the competence or otherwise of the ruling ANC government and its policies
Not so long ago I had a debate with a white colleague about the high cost of housing in “formerly white” suburbs. “Not a problem” I quipped ” If you cannot afford a house in Umhlanga, you can always find a cheaper one at Umlazi.”
He was livid with anger. When He recollected himself sufficiently to argue coherently , he tried to say he would not survive at Umlazi with all the murders hijackings rapes and so on.I pointed out to him that I live in a township and I do not exactly spend sleepless nights worrying about crime.My house has no burglar alarms, I have no dogs, Ido not have high walls with razor wire or electic fences at the top.In spite of all this I have not experienced burglary for 21 years{I have lived in this house which I inherited from my parents for a while]
My white colleague retorted by saying that he would be targeted as a white person for “special attention” by racist “black” criminals. I found this line of reasoning rather odd. I thought criminals are interested in money not race
Why would the Aussies want Britten ? She didn’t measure up to much there. Be careful of making snap character judgements, Sarah. Despite your Northern suburbs upbringing and tertiary education you weren’t able to hack it over there, were you ? I’ve been living in Canada for 8 years and helped a friend get over here a few years ago. He wasn’t well-qualified and just scraped through the process. Now he’s a highly successful entreprenuer in Calgary, doing far better than he could have done in SA.
The approach Huntley used to get into Canada may be suspect, but the deeper reality that SA is deeply divided racially and the polarisation is clearly on the increase. Not to mention the contributory factors of crime and inept and corrupt governance. He saw the writing on the wall as much as everyone else does and made the best of his set of options, and good for him. The refugee system gives otherwise unqualified and desperate cases a chance for a better life. The irony will be if he manages to make a better go of it than you did in Australia. This piece would get a big zero, if the rating scale allowed me to.
Sarah, what do you do exactly that Australia thought they could not do without and were not able to find amongst its own?
Living in Perth after emigrating from SA (and I concur with your comments about emigrating here) I see a number of Black Africans who obviously entered the country as refugees, they too have no skills to offer and end up being a Liability so what is the difference? Are you saying none of these people deserve another chance?
Why are people still going on about this story?! The guy just said what he needed to say to get his permanent residence, get over it!
I find it strange that South Africans are so pissed off at this guy who used the crime issue as a means to remain abroad. Now out of embarrasment we’re all mad at him, Canadians are the least racist people & know quite a lot about the world. WE D HAVE BAD CRIME. They’re not ignorant & I’m sure didnt take this application process lightly. Shouldn’t we be mad that our government refuses to take any measures to prove the Canadians wrong, No we idiots remain mad at this guy who made up a few lies. For goodness sakes SA peeps seriously need to worry bout the way we view the issues in our country.
The biggest load of twaddle yet madam. You don’t know Mr Huntley’s circumstances, maybe he has been attacked and maybe this is his only way to escape a country he fears living in. And too bad he isn’t as skilled as you, tough, should have studied more at school, unlucky for him huh?
What I think we should take away from the Huntley debacle (besides hoarse voices and bad feelings) is that the government should be doing more to attract the skills that are moving overseas.
because for every circus attendant we lose, we’ve probably lost 5 circus executives… not cool in a country with a supposed skills shortage.
@ Jon, Huntley is a refugee of convenience only. He failed in various other attempts to stay in Canada, including trying to join the army, and marrying a Canadian citizen. When these didn’t work out, he played the race card. Canada is welcome to the likes of Brandon Huntley who was pictured in his matric year, 1996 — two years after the advent of democracy - with an old South African flag on his chest. He belongs in the Canadian carnival where he works.
Ooh, nasty Dave. Actually, the Aussies did want me. I applied and went through the schlep, as Huntley should have done in the first place, and got my permanent residence visa. (Not a 457, for those under that misapprehension.)
Huntley is not a refugee. He’s an immigrant who thinks he can get around the rules that apply to everybody else. Presumably, Dave, you went through the correct channels, so why you’d want to support someone who’s trying to buck a system that is there for a good reason is a bit of a mystery to me.
The issue of crime in SA is a lot like driving in the rain on a summer’s day in Joburg: everybody stops engaging their brain.
well done to him, the guy worked an angle and beat the system. Unfortunately for the guy the media was looking for a story to sensationalise and make us want to care, even though we didnt really want to. At least he did it legally, unlike many other (maybe more desperate) people around the world. We should spend more of this apparent energy asking Malema why he is so flagrantly racist? Huntley is insignificant…let him be.
Brilliant story! I’m so happy to have finally come across a white person who doesn’t think this racist Huntley twerp is a hero.
Reading the comments on Huntley on various news sites had me feeling quite depressed at the number of whites who support him and who completely ignore the harm he’s done. Your column makes me feel a little hopeful, but I’m about to read about some Afrikaans group that wants to formally support this turd so my hope may be short-lived.
I find it frustrating how some commentators on Thoughtleader appear to be so incapable of rational thought. It seems it is a South African characteristic to make one’s mind up about an issue BEFORE listening to a debate.
As for Dave L, what an ignorant statement. I happen to know that the Aussies (the advertising agency’s corporate cellphone network client) DID want Britten but she was made redundant (she was one of two execs that the client insisted upon before agreeing to sign a three year contract) along with six other employees, including Aussies, by the new CEO (a South African fresh off the aeroplane). They had to cut back on jobs because the company was facing severe shit thanks to the global financial meltdown and presumably the new CEO had to show why he was being paid his excessive salary by instantly raising the bottom line into the black. We all know the easiest way to do that is to cut back on high salaries. Last in, first out and the worst financial meltdown since the 1929 depression.
Bad luck for Sarah. The only reason Sarah is back in Joeys is because her old company offered her a big carrot to come back even if it’s short to medium term only. Better to work and build the CV with good global brand experience than to sit twiddling one’s thumbs.
So, Dave, perhaps you should pull your head out of your arse before you mouth off.
What must we do when his assylum applications is reviewd and set aside, or even worse, it’s disregarded and he’s asked to return to his ‘racist country where he will be a ’sore thum’ and can’t be protected by his country?
D o we disown his, by means of not being regarded as a South African, and given the options og applying for citizenship at any other country he see fits and we accept his as one of us?
Nice article, Sarah. The crude nature of the comments here, directed at a woman for that matter, is a sympton of the sickness that is bedevilling SA. And we wonder why we have so much crime in this country. Just look at the national psyche. we are practically incapable of looking at issues logically without invoking racist connotations. The horse kicked a man because he was white/black!? We dehumanise each other like no other nation in the world. Arguably the most beautiful country in the world is inhabited by people who are hellbent on destroying it. Is this why Madiba went to jail for 27 years? I am sick and tired of the criminals that are giving us a bad name. But I am also sick and tired of the racists, black and white, who are no different. You are doing more damage to this country that the criminals. We can defeat the criminals, but the racist are more dangerous, as the poison is passed on to the children. Please SA…We only have one country. We decide today the kind of country we want our children to inherit. - Pained son of the soil
I agree. In the last week I’ve counted about 6 blogs on Thoughtleader alone.
Obvious facts:
1). The guy should have stood in line like almost everyone else, but could not qualify, so he found a loophole. He was not the first or the last, nor are only Safricans trying their luck.
2). Canadians are some of the most polite and least racist people anywhere, to call them anything else is ignorant. So what if they are do-gooders and a little bit gullible.
3). South Africa has a bad crime problem. You have to be blind Freddy to deny that.
4). South Africa (still) has a big racial divide. That is obvious from reading Thoughtleader or any other SA blogs - including expat blogs. Except for some people in the middle (thanksgod), unfortunately the country is filled with b&w racists, though both kinds are denying it – and neither of which we want over here.
5). So far this whole issue has meant more bad publicity for SA and Safricans. Cannot blame the Canadians and others who want to “just say no”. It is time for Sarfeffrikins to take a hard look at themselves. (Lets hope!)
On point 1. One of the best I heard was the guy who claimed to be homosexual, and to be prosecuted for his sexual preferences in his own country. When the Canadians denied him residency, he promptly got married (to a female) and tried to claim residency as a husband of a citizen.
Kwena, Kwena, Kwena, tsk, tsk. After over twothousand years of breaking his promise, you still think the Messiahbigfatliar is coming back? They really did a number on you. Unless (I so dearly hope) you are speaking figuratively for non-christian literary effect.
The grieviance should be in any leaving of the beloved SA. Is the ancestry visa not a worse cop out? A skills visa also robs the beloved country of one’s skills e.g nurses, engineers. So the argument that Huntley is a failure because he did not have a skill that was saleable is elitist reserving migration for the educated. He like the nurse trained in SA left because he felt compelled to. The nurse who left did not leave to benefit SA but did out of considered self interest. Had he been a CA he could probably have been in Jersey, Cayman Islands,fast tracked into Canadian residence much like some poor migrants in SA who are where they are because Cayman Islands or Aus or Melrose were closed to them.
Understand beauty therapists and hair dressers score higher points than many “super professions” on the migrant skills needs of Australia even my niece wants to emigrate once she finishes her City And Guilds and we are black. They say in England (Leicester, Coventry etc), stand outside a nightclub. When you see a blingy car blaring loud music most probably it is a black South African or a Zimbabwean. Ask Malaika and other performers about the growing SA black population in those countries. Some are at 30 training as nurses, they figure it’s better than at home. Even politicians’ kids go to college in those places. The long and short it is people leave when they could stay.
Sarah, you’re right, its amazing what a good lawyer can do for you!
Canada’s immigration laws err on the side of caution when it comes to refugees. A good thing in my opinion. Soon they will discover the Huntley’s lies.
I enjoyed reading Thandinkosi comments and your rebuttal to Dave L.
All refugees are, ipso facto, refugees “of convenience”. But some would be more inconvenienced than others by staying put in their own country, such as Jews in Nazi Germany, homosexuals in Saudi Arabia or white commercial farmers in Zimbabwe. Even so, every refugee decides when the time has come to up sticks and go. And Huntley’s decided his time has come. Who are you to second-guess his perfect right to decide these things?
Yep… the man is a total idiot. He is also a skillful liar. Canada gave him asylum because the lies he told (like all best lies) contained some truths.
One of these truths is that crime in South Africa is extremely violent and another one is that the government is unable to handle it.
Does the ANC government allow and encourage crimes to be comitted against whites in South Africa on the basis of some racial policies? NO!… It is just total incompetence of some members of the SAPS and the ANC functionaries managing them. It is the governments job to prevent crime, and they are just not doing it!
@Ntabi
There is lots of whites who do not support Huntley and love South Africa - but in your comment you sound a bit like Julius Malema, the master of the sweeping statements. Just like Huntley you are making this a black/white issue.
To all the little twits attacking Sarah; Get a life! and check your facts.
Brandon Huntley was intellectually challenged at school so he did very badly and could not advance his studies (because of learning difficulties). He has NO skills, no education and yes, he married a Canadian because he wanted Canadian citizenship. He was a lazy bum in that marriage and his wife had to work two jobs to support both of them 9and her children) and then it turned out he was unwilling to work even a menial job. The reason used the race cad to get refugee status is that he hoped to get a state grant, a house and other resources that are given to refugees (unlike immigrants who are expected to work in order to make a living).
Most importantly, Huntley LIED about being attacked. No police station or (if you want to avoid the police) hospital or doctor is known to have dealt with him after he was supposedly attacked. He LIED about being attacked in Cape Town. I have often visited friends in Canada and I know that Canadians are very civil people but they are also racist (even though they, for purposes of political expediencey, do provide blacks with refugee status too). But why are we wasting our time talking about this talentless, lazy and egg-head of a clown, a nobody really! Lets’ talk about SAns who are here dealing with the unfortunate and traumatising crime situation.
Come on! All this silly sturm und drang about ONE refugee’s escape is only because the regime is deeply embarrassed that his story of repeated vicious racial assault is being believed and acted upon by a decent first-world country. And all the whiners and howlers who are character-assassinating the guy are doing it to hide their own shame at living in a dysfunctional, race-obsessed country rather than in a more decent country.
I completely agree with many of you that SA’s crime rate is very high…but This new Government is trying their best to combat crime… and i say, LETS GIVE THEM A CHANCE”. This Brandon Guy is ruining the image of our country by going public, and telling international media abt SA crime…he should have left our country in piece not like this….
As an South African who happens to be black, I say to those who are playing the race card in every problem they face or rather in this Brandon’s debate: Stop it!
The very people who do all the hand-wringing about racism are the first to use it to divide us, and we are tired of it.
shoddy piece of journalism indeed. Your main thesis is that Huntley is not entitled to refugee status because he is fleeing crime, not race prejudice, and that crime is disproportionately experienced by blacks. You are wrong. Crime in South Africa is race based. Most perpetrators are black, this is a simple math exercise and can be attested to by eye witness reports. If a perpetrator selects a victim based on race, then this amounts to race persecution. Whether whites are persecuted because of hate or wealth is irrelevant; in both instances the black perpetrator would have to racially profile, which makes it non-random. Don’t confuse this with saying all blacks are criminals; they are not and they suffer the effects of crime too. The issue is proportionality; who’s doing what to whom. Moreover, if you do the math, using murder statistics from the Medical Research Council, you will note that all minority race groups in South Africa (whites, coloureds and Indians) are disproportionately victims, relative to blacks. If you want to use the argument that most murders are retaliatory attacks for Aparheid, I will tell you that the group most persecuted are Indians, who have a murder rate approximately 30% higher than would be anticipated, next is whites. Then to the task of white racism; need I remind you that 70% of whites voted in favour of transferring power to a black government, so this is supposed to be a post-racial society; much like the USA is
continued…
is post-racial after having elected Barack Obama. It is therefore disingenous to constantly throw the blame at the feet of white racists. You make mention of employment statistics, as if that somehow confirms your argument that whites have not transformed. Need I remind you that in excess of 1 million skilled white South Africans have already emigrated. Your doctor is probably a South African. Can you imagine what the white unemployment rate would be if you included the 1 million? Do you know that 1 in 3 white South Africans of Dutch descent (Boers) lives in poverty, with zero state assistance and excluded from the job market as a result of race based legislation. Additionally, if blacks have failed to acquire skills over the last 15 years, how can it be the fault of the whites? The ANC has been running the show. As to the 1 million emigrants; why do you think they all left? They couldn’t all be white supremacists now could they, given that they voted to transfer power peacefully. What pinhead white supremacist would do that? Are you aware that South Africa does not even know how to calculate its unemployment correctly? Nobody can agree on the rate, which is probably closer to 45%. Finally, are you aware that most white South African males are self-employed, having been shunned from the corporate sector. So even if the white employement rate is low, it has nothing to do with past privilege or jobs being
Nthabi, it gives me hope for SA when I read yours. The citizens of this country need to start engaging with one another intelligently. I for one think the JZ era will offer a better political environment for reconciliation. He has already ACKNOWLEDGED problems and embraced cultural diversity by extending an olive branch to minority groups. Notwithstanding his questionable past, he IS in my mind a brilliant and brave politician who isn’t afraid to engage with people who have different, sometimes narrow and racist views. He appears to be willing to understand. Perhaps SA can one day become a mosaic nation like Canada.
For the record, I concur with your summary “Glad To Be Out”. I am also very glad to have an Australian PR visa in my passport. To say it took much effort and years to get it would be an understatement. People who haven’t considered emigration have no clue of the stresses involved and the strain living in Limbo puts on relationships. My decision to leave was one I was most comfortable with and it’s not for everyone.
It’s not solely a race issue either - as Bravo points out, black Africans emigrate to First World countries; a lifestyle choice. This is an emotive issue, I don’t necessarily want to leave the comfort and familiarity of my home country and I do not want to look back in anger forever. Anger is an ugly thing that pushes people away.
Huntley’s not sufficiently “intellectually challenged” (i.e. stupid) to be rejected by first-world Canada. So, perhaps he doesn’t have a Ph.D in advertising, or a rocket-science trade ticket, but he nevertheless got into Canada above-board and legally and YOU — Mr and Ms Snipy Critic — are envious to the point of wanting to kick a hole in the wall.
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Sarah Britten has written three books on South African insults. During the day she is a communication strategist in the ad industry; by night she writes books and blog entries. It helps to have insomnia.
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You can cringe as much as you want, as far as I’m concerned, the more the better. How dare you, call Canadians ignorant! And since when is it a requirement to ‘offer’ something to a country, before getting refugee status? Also, try and find out the reasons (and since we are at it) the race of the 600+ South African refugees worldwide. Anyhow, I’ll go and have breakfast now. Bit of a bad taste in my mouth, allergic to weird people.
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