Assignment Sample on Report on Canadian Economy
1. Introduction
Canada is one of the most popular choices for foreign workers to apply for work permit or residency and settle in the country. Great education, culture, and apparently easy immigration requirements make Canada a popular choice for work, education, and long term settlement. However, scholarly views opinions and observations from people not often considered the immigration policies of Canada to be as easy and flexible as it seems.
This particular report is going to critically evaluate whether Canada should review its immigration policy or not and whether it serves its true purpose in the contemporary world. The report is going to question on whether the countries immigration policies too restrictive or not sufficiently restrictive by identifying the major issues relating to the Canada immigration policy and regulations. Majority of the observations used to support the arguments in the report are obtained from secondary sources of relevant information including newspaper reports Journals, articles, and international relations research papers
2. Discussion
2.1 Identifying Canada’s immigration policy
Canada’s immigration process has been touted as a model for other countries in the world and the nation has developed a strong global reputation over the past few decades of welcoming immigrants and supporting multiculturalism as a part of the culture. According to the reports from the Council on Foreign Relations it can be stated that Canada welcomed more than 340000 new permanent residents in the year 2019 that itself became the highest number of permanent residents provided to people by any country in the world (Cheatham, 2020). As observed from the statistical diagram below most of Canada’s immigrants come from countries like India, China, Philippines, Pakistan, and Nigeria followed by US and other countries. Based on the countries current immigration policies most of the immigrants as observed in the following figure settle down in big cities like Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, and Winnipeg. It is observed 58% of new permanent residence ships were provided in the year 2018 where people were admitted through the economy extreme and 27% came through family sponsorship, only one person came through humanitarian grounds and 14% entered through protected persons and refugees policies (Cheatham, 2020).
Source- (Cheatham, 2020)
Source- (Cheatham, 2020)
2.2 Challenges in family sponsorships
The family sponsorship scheme is a popular facet that attracts multiple people to apply for Canadian visa. However, in recent times the only major issue relating to receiving a family sponsorship relates to immigration processing delays (Thevenot, 2020). According to the reports from scholars spouses do face challenges in receiving family sponsorship as part of the immigration practice (immigration.ca, 2019). Multiple complaints from spouses and permanent residents of Canada who were immigrants at one point in time on the delays of spouse sponsorships and family sponsorships have been registered for years. The Canadian government did increase allocation, increased funding, simplified the application process, and shortened processing commitment of 12 months in the recent years, in order to eradicate the issues relating to the delays at the root level of the immigration process (immigration.ca, 2019). However, considering the recent reports from Thevenot (2020), it is still a matter of question on whether receiving family sponsorship is easy or not for foreigners.
2.3 Struggle of the foreign workers
According to the report from the Canadian Council for Refugees some workers arriving in Canada under the temporary foreign worker programme often become victims of human trafficking and struggle in obtaining stability in life. Migrant workers experience exploitation and abuse indifferent times of their lives and multiple reports and complaints against the violation of human rights, diversity, and inclusion is shared by researchers and scholars (Migrant Workers – the issues, 2019).
One of University of Toronto’s article mentions about City News’ controversial report on “the temporary foreign workers left vulnerable and exposed to abuse” in Canada. In relation to the article scholars suggests that regardless of the fact that Canada is praised for their immigration system internationally the claims also highlight the ‘dark area’ of immigration and reality that is not always openly spoken (library.utoronto.ca, 2021). The migrant workers who come to Canada through the temporary foreign workers programme certainly contributed a lot to the Canadian economy yet they are not provided with equal protection and rights that the residents and natives of Canada enjoy. Issues like discrimination, racism, and inequality, are evident in such cases.
2.4 Refugee law
Many Reports online and offline can be that discuss the issues relating to the country’s new immigration and refugee protection act. It must be noted that the Canadian Government considers the contribution of refugees to be imperative and much contributed towards the nation’s development both economically and socially. However reports also suggest that refugees struggle with limited ‘social assistance’ from government authorities and do not enjoy equal rights like the Canadians do. It must be noted that the privately sponsored refugees are not provided assistance support and help and are considered not ‘entitled’ to ‘government assistance’ as well that involves provincial assistance during their sponsorship (Canadian Council for Refugees, 2021). The refugees are not provided with adequate living facilities and are often observed to be staying in camps and in unhealthy circumstances.
2.5 Canadian immigration post Covid19
According to the reports from Bruce Newbold, professor of geography at the McMaster University, in Canada the COVID19 global pandemic has certainly ‘hardened the Canadian views on immigration’ and related policies. The professor clearly mentions that Canada relies on immigration for ‘demographic’ and ‘economic’ growth and it is the COVID-19 pandemic that has adversely affected the country in closing their borders and making changes on the immigration rules. The scholar clearly mentions that the Corona virus pandemic has made the Canadians feel less open about the immigration and the claims are based on also by McMaster University that worked with Dynata Research (Newbold, 2020). The overall results of the survey brings challenges and questions the government as well as the local people of Canada in understanding and revising the Canadian immigration policies and consider whether Canada should be willing and open about welcoming others from different countries after the pandemic has been controlled (Newbold, 2020). Moreover, the anti Islam protests going on in different parts of Canada has worsened the situation as people started to believe that the less Islam they welcome the less terror they will have.
Racial discrimination prejudices, and the global pandemic has amalgamated in questioning Canada’s welcoming attitude towards foreign workers students and people who are keen to apply for a Canadian visa and settled in the country for a better life. What will happen after the pandemic is completely controlled is still a matter of concern and cannot be predicted. However people in Canada are not much willing to invite more outsiders and it is rightly claimed by Theresa Wright in one of her articles published in 2019.
2.6 Canadians on limited immigration
Teresa Wright (2019), mentions that the majority of the Canadian population think that immigration should be limited. It is also claimed and argued by the scholar that most of the Canadian certainly believe that the federal government of the country must bring limitations to the number of people they invite in the country for education and work each year (Wright, 2019). Several survey reports are illustrated in the article by Wright that brings concern to the readers in understanding that the locals are not welcoming towards outsiders and that the federal government’s immigration process an welcoming attitude can be just a mere gimmick in managing a global outlook that respects diversity and multiculturalism.
It must be noted that the fairness of the Canadian immigration process is still in question and has been in the recent years by understanding that the country has its specific ways of keeping out unwanted immigrants as was rightly mentioned by Tony Keller in 2018 for The Atlantic. The Canadian immigration system is certainly more reputed an open than America yet in the recent years it has experienced political backlash and has been criticized by many scholars. It is observed that the immigration process is not as easy as it seems to the foreigners. Tony Keller mentions that the country’s immigration success is a mix of both liberal and conservative story. The fact that the country’s immigration policies and practices are considered liberal is predominantly due to the way the people controlled immigration in a ‘subtle’, ‘quieter’ manner as compared to America’s. In order to conclude the observations from scholars it can be stated that Canada certainly do maintain its welcoming attitude and global reputation as it believes in being selective about whom to allow to enter the country at the very root level that is not always studied and observed by foreigners prior to applying for the visa. Therefore, the country must revise their immigration policy and related regulations.
3. Conclusion
This particular report has been highly educational and riveting in understanding the multiple facets of the Canadian immigration policies and practices. It has been observed that regardless of the Canadian government’s claims and strategies in strengthening the flexibility of the immigration process and making it widely open to foreigners multiple issues relating to delays, racism, inequality, refugee laws are prevalent. Weather Canada certainly opens its borders to foreigners and is highly liberal is still a question by considering the limitations and issues relating to the immigration practices and policies in the recent times. There is also a question on how the country is going to operate after COVID is completely controlled and more research and observation is certainly due in this area.
4 Reference List
Canadian Council for Refugees, 2021. Did you know… ? Facts about refugees and refugee claimants in Canada. [online] Canadian Council for Refugees. Available at: <https://ccrweb.ca/en/myths-facts> [Accessed 21 March 2021].
Canadian Council for Refugees. 2019. Migrant Workers – the issues. [online] Available at: <https://ccrweb.ca/en/migrant-workers-issues#:~:text=Some%20workers%20who%20come%20to,become%20victims%20of%20human%20trafficking.&text=There%20have%20been%20numerous%20documented,little%20recourse%20for%20the%20workers.> [Accessed 21 March 2021].
Cheatham, A., 2020. What Is Canada’s Immigration Policy?. [online] Council on Foreign Relations. Available at: <https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-canadas-immigration-policy> [Accessed 21 March 2021].
immigration.ca, 2019. Spouses Facing Problems With Canada’s Family Sponsorship Immigration – Canada Immigration and Visa Information. Canadian Immigration Services and Free Online Evaluation.. [online] Canada Immigration and Visa Information. Canadian Immigration Services and Free Online Evaluation. Available at: <https://www.immigration.ca/spouses-facing-problems-canadas-family-sponsorship-immigration> [Accessed 21 March 2021].
Keller, T., 2018. Canada Has Its Own Ways of Keeping Out Unwanted Immigrants. [online] The Atlantic. Available at: <https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/07/canada-immigration-success/564944/> [Accessed 21 March 2021].
library.utoronto.ca, 2021. Canadian Wrongs: The Temporary Foreign Workers Program · Canadian Law and Canadian Identity · Exhibits. [online] Exhibits.library.utoronto.ca. Available at: <https://exhibits.library.utoronto.ca/exhibits/show/canadianlawandidentity/cdnwrongshome/cdnwrongsmw/cdnwrongsmw2> [Accessed 21 March 2021].
Newbold, B., 2020. COVID-19 has hardened Canadian views on immigration. [online] The Conversation. Available at: <https://theconversation.com/covid-19-has-hardened-canadian-views-on-immigration-146512> [Accessed 21 March 2021].
Thevenot, S., 2020. International couples face immigration processing delays. [online] CIC News. Available at: <https://www.cicnews.com/2020/08/international-couples-face-immigration-processing-delays-0815450.html#gs.wq5g9d> [Accessed 21 March 2021].
Wright, T., 2019. Majority of Canadians think immigration should be limited: poll. [online] Global News. Available at: <https://globalnews.ca/news/5397306/canada-immigration-poll/> [Accessed 21 March 2021].
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