IMMIGRATION RIGHTS
intimately connected to the second. Canada is currently experiencing an imbalance between available jobs and available workers.
Too many students are graduating from the humanities and professional programs while too few are graduating from the skilled trades. The labour market information showing the imbalance is freely available online. Potential immigrants would be well advised to consult it regarding which occupations are likely to be in demand when they apply.
What immigrants can expect from Canada
With a long history of immigration, Canada understands the need to connect newcomers to support networks as soon as possible, so offers valuable settlement services. The Government of Canada and civil society organizations cooperate to provide immigrants with services such as language training, language assessments, help finding a job, help with daily life, refugee services, mentoring, and services specifically aimed at youth or seniors.
Canada also provides much information for newcomers. It offers free guides with extensive information on the
“Canada has long been described as a land of immigrants. From the earliest European settlers to the newest wave of newcomers from around the world, Canada has successfully absorbed a wide range of immigrants.”
first steps to take upon arrival, sources of information available to newcomers, rights and responsibilities of residents, the legal system, essential documents, employment, education, housing, healthcare, transportation, taxes etc. These guides help
newcomers adjust and fulfill their legal obligations without requiring expensive legal advice from immigration lawyers. They also help combat human trafficking by alerting immigrants to the protections available to them.
What Canada expects from immigrants
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Cultural Integration: Canada prides itself on being a multi- ethnic country with Canadians hailing from all corners of the globe. That said, we do expect immigrants to integrate once they arrive. They must learn the language, must abide by the laws of the land, and must adhere to our fundamental values such as volunteerism, individual liberty, and the rule of law.
I like to describe Canada’s stance on multiculturalism as a potluck meal in which every culture brings the best it has to offer and shares with everyone else. However, there are many cultural practices and attitudes which are antithetical to Canadian principles. At the time of writing this article, the Government of Canada is in the process of passing a Bill targeting barbaric cultural practices such as polygamy, underage and forced marriage, and honour killings. Practices like these and the misogynistic attitudes which spawn them have no place in Canada. Likewise, immigrants must leave the problems of their homelands at the water’s edge instead of bringing sectarian or tribal conflicts to Canada. Canada also expects
newcomers to join in the wider society and public life. Although
The Parliamentarian | 2015: Issue Two | 99
there may be an incentive for immigrants to surround themselves with those of the same ethnic background, such enclaves isolate them from the wider society and can damage our polity through formation of single issue or ethnic voting blocs. As important as it is to inform immigrants of the expectation that they will integrate culturally, the onus is not solely on them. Established Canadians must reach out and welcome newcomers. I often encourage immigrants to join and volunteer with civil society organizations which are not limited to their ethnic or religious background so that they can interact with and befriend a wide variety of established Canadians.
Finding a practical mechanism for inculcating the national culture into immigrants, and integrating newcomers while respecting their individual liberty, may pose a challenge to Canada and other Western countries, but is necessary for the preservation of our civilizations and the freedom and prosperity they have produced. I believe that Canadian values, culture, and civilization are worth preserving, and that it is eminently reasonable to require newcomers to aid in the task. As such, I see a need for a serious and thoughtful discussion on such a mechanism leading to implementation. Moving to the next topic under integration, newcomers need to join the Canadian economy as well.
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