Missing the Point
June 22, 2006In a recent speech, Prime Minister Stephen Harper defended the need to keep Canadian borders open against calls that immigration was breeding terrorism in Canada.
As if we have a choice.
The debate is no longer about whether Canada should remain open to immigration. That debate became moot when Canadians realized that low birth rates and an aging population would eventually lead to a shrinking populace. Baby bonuses and other such incentives couldn't convince Canadians to have more kids, and demographic experts have forecasted that a Canada without immigration would pretty much disintegrate as a nation by 2050.
So, if Canada needs immigration to avoid becoming one giant nursing home before going gently into that good night, why are we still acting as if closing our borders is a viable policy option? Instead of debating a non-issue, Canada needs to focus its energy on the real challenge: preventing the ghetto-ization of our immigrant communities.
As much as some people might prefer to receive immigrants from England and France, the reality is that those most likely to want to immigrate to Canada come from non-Western cultures. The success of Canada as a nation depends on our society's ability to avoid marginalizing those cultures that seem different from the mainstream. Integration will not occur without meaningful opportunities for Canada's immigrant population to participate in our economic, cultural, and political institutions.
Accomplishing this integration and avoiding the problems of ghetto-ization may be a challenge, but it is a worthwhile one. Given Canada's demographic realities, the only serious immigration debate to be had is how best to address this challenge. However, as long as our Prime Minister and others find it necessary to focus on rebutting calls to close the borders, valuable energy is being wasted. Like paying bonuses for babies, closing the borders is an outdated concept, and Canada's politicians would be wise to steer clear of this retro debate.
Blog written by David Cohen on Friday, June 23, 2006
7 Comments:
HI
I REALY THINK THAT THIS NEW GOVERNMENT IS LOOKNG WISELY TO ALL ASPECTS OF EMIGRATION WHICH GIVE ME AND OTHERE EMIGRATION APPLICANTS A REAL HOPE IN OUR FUTURE IN CANADA AS WE ARE FROM A NON WESTERN ORIGINS.
I agree that closing the border is not really a viable option for Canada. In Ontario alone, health spending growth is outpacing tax revenue growth. We obviously need a larger working population,more people making an income and paying taxes. Otherwise, we are going to witness further delistment of health services and decrease of other government services. That's why I think Canada should further facilitate the immigration of highly-skilled workers as well as workers in areas of labour shortage (doctors, nurses,trades etc.) One barrier of course is accreditation. But I think the government should start by facilitating the work permit/PR application process!!! I was once an international student and boy the hoops I had to jump through to get a work permit and then to keep renewing it every year (and going through the process of obtaining a labour market assessment from HRSDC). Mind you I am fluent in both official languages, was trained in Canada, had a postgraduate degree. The employer on top of that had shown proven difficulty finding a Canadian citizen to fill the position!
I think it is high time that employers are proacive and educated when it comes to internationally trained professionals They need to understand that manpower planning is vital and that foreign trained professionals such as myself with Masters degress are just as good as Canadian degress. Our work experience is just as good if not better. Best practice has traveled the world, it is not only available in North America.
this is an amazing article and i totally agree with all the points. (i am a high school student doing a paper on why the government needs to adjust its immigration laws.)
I have been thinking about your statement regarding the theory that Canada would simply disintegrate as a nation by 2050 without immigration due to low birthrates.
Somehow this doesn't sit right with me. The nature of the economy would change and I'm sure we would experience a drop in GNP but "simply disintegrate"?
Lets talk seriously about what we would actually experience. We aren't talking a barren wasteland void of human existence.
You may not know that the Canadian Railroad was built by thousands of Asian immigrants who were given the most dangerous jobs and many perished on those tracks to build the nation years ago.
thank you kyle tysk tysk brain washing high school kids. 90% of what i just read is propaganda of the immigration lobby as kyle said there would be a retooling of the economy and we would need to take back al the money the corporations have stolen but we would be much better off with out them.
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