Adopted Vancouverite James Skinner (originally a UK citizen) in 2014 founded CANZUK International, an organization to actively promote a free trade union between the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, including free circulation of people similar to the European Economic Area (EEA)
The proposal is picking up steam in academia, the media, and some political circles in these 4 countries, especially after the BREXIT referendum in UK.
On the CANZUK International web site (
CANZUK International – Promoting Closer Ties Between Canada, Australia, New Zealand & The United Kingdom) you can keep track of ongoing discussions, seminars, declaration of interest in such proposal from politicians, etc...
Closer ties between Commonwealth countries have been a recurrent theme from time to time but almost universally regarded as a very difficult endeavor when not downright unfeasible.
CANZUK proposes a much smaller (and realistic) economic union between just the 4 major nations that share the same sovereign.
Some critics still claim that the whole idea is very difficult to implement or "fanciful", furthermore some ask "Why excluding other commonwealth countries?? It seems covertly racist".
Skinner promptly dismiss the racist label, the 4 countries have a common language spoken by pretty much the totality of their populations, similar socioeconomic development levels which would prevent serious immigration unbalances, share the same values, cultural footprints, high human rights records, similar laws and all of them offer public health care. These four countries are already societies with a significant multicultural component, race has nothing to do with it. Simply, in practical terms, is much more easy to economically integrate them.
As I said before, the arrangement would be similar to the current EEA framework so significantly different from the EU which has a political union as a final objective.
Borders control would still be enforced. The suggested arrangement allow for free circulation of people that are citizens of one of the participating countries for at least 6 years and no criminal record.
Each country would still be free to have an independent immigration policy towards other countries (probably with some co-ordination on matters such as security). Co-ordination would still be needed in the areas of social and healthcare benefits, retirement income, etc...
An initial multiyear ban on the ability to collect welfare benefits (coupled with a required specific amount of paid work time) is proposed as well....meaning, for example, you cannot collect welfare if you have not been in the country for X amount of years
and you have not worked, at minimum, for Y years.
What do you think?? Would you like to see CANZUK adopted??
I added 2 choices to the Poll..."Yes" with the inclusion of Ireland in the arrangement (but current EU rules, I believe, would prevent Ireland to join) and "Yes" with the inclusion of Ireland and the United States as well....obviously in that case the name of the arrangement would change to include these countries
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