A haunting 10-minute video, showing the final moments of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekański's life, have raised many questions about police procedures and the kindness of strangers in Canada. The 40-year-old spoke no English and became confused and agitated after arriving at Vancouver International Airport. After a confrontation with police, he was tasered at least twice and died.

One issue highlighted by the incident, however, has received little attention: that a middle-aged Polish man wanted to relocate to Canada at a time when fewer and fewer European citizens - once the mainstay of Canada's population growth - are choosing to emigrate there.

Fewer Europeans

During the past five years, European immigration to Canada has dwindled, even as overall immigration to Canada has been on the rise. According to a Statistics Canada survey, Canada is now home to its largest population of new Canadians in 75 years, with 1.1 million newcomers arriving between 2001 and 2006.

Of these, Europeans accounted for just 16.1 percent of newcomers, far fewer than those from Asian and Middle Eastern countries and down from 60 percent 30 years ago. The decline in the number of Poles relocating to Canada reflects the steady decline in European immigration to the country. In 2005, more than 1,200 Poles came to Canada. In 2006 that number dropped to 1,100, and in the first half of 2007 only 487 Poles arrived here.

Overall, in 2006, the Canadian embassy in Warsaw issued 33,363 temporary resident visas for citizens of Poland. However, the picture may change since visa requirements for Poles have now been lifted. This agreement will reunite many families and ease the frustration felt by many who were rejected for Canadian visas.

Indeed, Poles continue to emigrate from their homeland, but many are deciding to stay within Europe. It is this current trend of intra-European migration that is attracting attention in Canada.

Canada's luster lost

A number of factors have contributed to this trend. First, Canada has tightened requirements and restrictions on immigrants. Poles travelling on a tourist visa will now have it easy. To work legally, however, Poles will need to go through the necessary procedures.

"They have to go through either existing programs for skilled labor or employers can apply for a visa for the person," said Wůadysůaw Lizon, president of the Canadian Polish Congress. "There are legal ways to work in Canada. They should use legal channels, instead of coming here and working illegally."

Marek Kucmierz, president of the Association of Polish Engineers in Canada's Alberta Chapter, talked of the humiliation Polish engineers and tourists faced, standing in the embassy line at 4 am in Warsaw.

He described his brother-in-law's reluctance to come to Canada. "He told me, 'Forget it. I'm not coming to Canada until they get rid of the visa,'" said Kucmierz. Now, his extended family can visit with ease.

A second factor affecting the trend is the increasing pull from within Europe. Following the European Union's enlargement in 2004, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Ireland have all opened their borders to Polish workers.

A third factor is migrants' desires to remain close to their families. Since Canada is such a great distance from Poland, many find it too far to travel. By contrast, travel within Europe has become cheap and convenient. Poles no longer need to go halfway around the globe when they can fly to the UK and find a job that fits their skills.

The facts of life

The few Poles who are now venturing to Canada do so either because they have family already living there, or they have been able to secure a job contract. According to Polish-Canadian immigration consultant Maria Krajewska, Canada still opens its doors to skilled labor workers from Poland, but those with fewer qualifications do not stay.

Krajewska's clients are Poles who face deportation after their contracts expire. "They are skilled, but never reach the bar that is required. ... They never make the points," she said, referring to Canada's "points system" for immigrants.

Stiff immigration requirements have been a barrier for Poles entering Canada since 2002, as they have been for anyone from Slavic countries. Language requirements and general immigration standards are high enough that those people who are not relatively fluent in English or French have little chance of entering Canada, due to the points system.

Canada continues to recruit construction and mechanical workers on a contract basis to fill employment gaps, but these workers cannot stay, even if they have been in country for several years.

Europe ahoy

The situation in Europe is quite different, says Krajewska, where Poles are legally employed in a number of countries and can stay for as long as they want. These are workers such as Gabrysia Kondraciuk, who moved to London.

Kondraciuk left Poland in May 2007, because she could not find a job. She moved to London, where one of her friends was already settled, to study English and she found a job at a sandwich bar. Now that Kondraciuk is legally employed, she is thinking about her future. She wants to continue her education, but not in Poland.

"I don't think there's any sense comparing life in England and life in Poland. In Poland, you need to make minimum zů.2,000 a month in order to sustain yourself, pay for rent and all the bills. Here, you need Ł800 [zů.3,688], but my job gives me even more than that. I can put money away," she says.

Little wonder that fewer Polish immigrants are choosing Canada.

Anna Olejarczyk