GATINEAU, Quebec, Dec. 5 (UPI) -- A Canadian city's "values" guide for new immigrants has come under fire from critics who say it treats immigrants as if "they just came out of a cave."
Gatineau, Quebec, says its newly released "statement of values" is aimed at helping newcomers integrate, but the 16-point guide says local values range from refraining from bribing officials and killing people for honor to cooking smelly foods.
The guide has received funding from the Quebec government, the Globe and Mail reported Monday.
Critics have called the guide both objectionable and redundant since both Canada and Quebec already spell out the rights and responsibilities for immigrants.
A Montreal rights group denounced Gatineau's guide, calling it reminiscent of the church's "paternalistic" attitude toward aboriginals in past decades.
Immigrants to Quebec are selected for their high levels of education and professional achievement, Fo Niemi of the Center for Research Action on Race-Relations said.
"This infantilizes them," he said. "This singles out immigrants and treats them like they came out of a cave.
"It practically portrays them as being Neanderthals."
