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We’re one big diverse nation, according to Census data, but there is more to consider than just numbers

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Canada is “one big social experiment.” That’s what former citizenship judge Sandra Wilking — one of the first people profiled in Canadian Immigrant magazine — once told me. Her words have stuck in my head. The image they evoke is an apt one — mixing and blending people from different backgrounds, cultures, faiths and perspectives together in one place, and calling them compatriots.

Today, the metaphor remains just as relevant; after all, the population continues to evolve in this so-called nation of immigrants. Recently released data from the 2016 Census reveals a vivid multicultural mixture; 21.9 per cent of Canada’s total population, or one-fifth, is made up of immigrants. It’s the highest number among G7 countries.

This number has been steadily rising, from about 15 per cent in the 1950s, to 19.8 per cent in 2006 to 20.6 per cent in 2011. It’s a result of increasing immigration levels, combined with the gradual rise in the number of deaths and the relatively low fertility levels in Canada.

Between 2011 and 2016 alone, 1,212,075 new immigrants had permanently settled in Canada. Upcoming immigration targets, released by Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Ahmed Hussen on November 1, are more ambitious — one million immigrants and refugees will be welcomed to Canada over the next three years.

The plan begins with 310,000 new permanent residents in 2018, and grows to 330,000 in 2019 and 340,000 in 2020, with about 60 per cent from the economic category.

“Our government believes that newcomers play a vital role in our society,” said Minister Hussen upon the release of the 2018 immigration plan. “Generations of newcomers have come from the four corners of the globe, contributing to our prosperity, diversity and culture. I’m proud to say that I myself was one of those newcomers. Immigration has been, and will continue to be, a cornerstone of Canada’s success.”

For people who question the need for so much immigration, Somalian-born Hussen has this to say: “Why do we need immigration? Well, five million Canadians are set to retire by 2035. And we have fewer people working to support seniors and retirees. Immigration supports GDP growth by creating jobs, attracting investment and driving innovation.”

The new multi-year immigration plan received widespread support from influencers in the immigration arena, from provincial immigration ministers, to settlement agencies, even from former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson.

Hong Kong-born Clarkson, who is now co-chair of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, says, “This is an important step in the right direction, which reaffirms Canada’s belief in immigration and citizenship as a principle which has helped to build, and which will continue to build, the country.”

Statistics Canada now projects that the proportion of Canada’s immigrant population could reach between 24.5 and 30 per cent by 2036.

Immigrants are coming

So, we know what the future holds — more immigrants are coming. And the mix is changing, too. While Asia (including the Middle East) remains the top source continent, Africa is now in second place over Europe.

The majority of newcomers, however, will continue to be economic immigrants (see sidebar “Immigration targets for the next three years”). And many more are headed to the Prairies than ever before.  Over the past 15 years, the share of recent immigrants in Alberta (6.9 to 17.1 per cent), Manitoba (1.8 to 5.2 per cent) and Saskatchewan (one to four per cent) has more than doubled. Atlantic Canada also saw a doubling in its numbers, while Ontario’s share of immigrants dropped from 55.9 to 39 per cent. British Columbia also saw its share of recent immigrants decrease over the past 15 years, from 19.9 to 14.5 per cent. Quebec has remained steady for the last few years at roughly 17 per cent.

This geographic distribution reveals the important part the provincial nominee programs have come to play in Canadian immigration, as provinces actively recruit newcomers away from the traditional migration to Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.

Canadian immigrants are also having more children. Almost 2.2 million children under the age of 15 were foreign-born or had at least one foreign-born parent, representing 37.5 per cent, or two in five, of all Canadian children. Almost three-quarters of these children trace their countries of ancestry to Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and Bermuda, and Central and South America.

As a result, the number of visible minorities (both foreign-born and first-generation Canadians) is growing; 22.3 per cent, or one-fifth, of Canada’s population identified as belonging to the visible minority population (three in 10 of whom were born in Canada).

“We’ve been seeing this for 20 years now, that Canada is becoming more and more diverse,” said Jean-Pierre Corbeil, Statistics Canada’s assistant director of social and Aboriginal statistics, to the Toronto Star. “It’s not surprising that we see the share of people identified as visible minorities … increasing for sure.”

Preventing populism

As our national “experiment” evolves and immigration numbers continue to rise, Canada will need to be proactive in ensuring people mix together well. Part of that is ensuring the successful integration of newcomers.

While Minister Hussen says immigration is an economic driver for the country, many skilled professionals still struggle in integrating into the labour market due to licensing and other systemic barriers. Statistics Canada’s newly released Labour Force Survey shows there is still work to be done. Landed immigrants who arrived within five years or less have significantly higher unemployment rates than the total population — 10.6 per cent compared to six per cent as of October 2017. It is only after 10 years in Canada that rates of unemployment among immigrants level out with those born here.

As Ontario Minister Michael Coteau reflects in a recent interview with Canadian Immigrant, we need to “level the playing field” for Canadians of all backgrounds and ethnicities.

Successful economic integration will also help prevent the global trend of populism. At the Conference Board of Canada’s annual Canadian Immigration Summit in Ottawa last spring, Keith Banting, Queen’s University research chair in public policy, discussed what Canada can learn from the rise of populism in other countries like the United Kingdom and the United States.

He explained that there are three main drivers of populism: economic, cultural and political. If a segment of a population is economically and culturally insecure, and if the right political incentives are in place, populism may rise.

Banting further noted that, while Canadians are generally supportive of immigration, their support is conditional. He pointed to recent polls that show some eight out of 10 Canadians believe immigration has a positive economic impact, while about six out of 10 feel immigration levels are too high.

He further added that only about one-third of Canadians support multiculturalism, while one-third support it conditionally. So Canada cannot continue to assume that the country’s multiculturalism and pro-immigration policies will prevent anti-immigrant sentiment among the populace.

Canada is definitely not immune to it. At the same time Canada saw the campaigning and election of the first turbaned Sikh to lead a federal political party, we also saw that same candidate get verbally attacked by a protestor spewing racist misinformation at a campaign event. Jagmeet Singh, now the NDP leader, responded with a message of love. This moment showed the best and worst of Canada.

Diversity and immigration will only continue to grow in the years to come, and, according to Banting, Canada must find ways to better integrate immigrants into the economy, and ensure the economy and social safety net is strong so immigration is not seen as having a negative impact on the country.

Either way, Canada’s policies on immigration will remain ambitious. As Minister Hussen says, “There are more and more countries that are closing their doors to people, they’re closing their doors to talent, to skills and, yes, to those who are seeking protection from persecution. We are emphatically and unapologetically taking the opposite approach.”


Hed: Immigration targets for the next three years

Economic immigrants                   Family class                        Refugees

2018                       74,900                                                   66,000                                   16,000

2019                       81,400                                                   68,000                                   16,500

2020                       85,800                                                   70,000                                   17,000

Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada


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