Canada’s Immigration

In the recent years immigration has become a strong topic for debate as according to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs in the report, International Migration Report Highlights, “The number of international migrants worldwide has continued to grow rapidly in recent years, reaching 258 million in 2017, up from 220 million in 2010 and 173 million in 200” (2017). The people who emigrate from their country to another usually do because they are looking for a better quality of life, either because their country isn’t as developed as others, or is in war, therefore it is insecure for living.

The issue relies on whether a country should or should not accept foreigners in. This decision is based on the positive and negative effects newcomers have, which vary in each country. In this essay the way Canada has managed the immigration issue will be discussed, as they are known for being the country with the most open immigration policies.

Canada has dealt with immigrants from an economic view that benefits the country. In 1967 they developed the Point System for the three classes of immigration: Economic, family and refugees. What this policy does is that it sets standards to identify which immigrant is allowed to enter the country. According to Arthur Sweetman in Canada’s Immigration System: Lessons for Europe, “Part of the active management of immigration policy in Canada involves academic research, and consequently immigrant selection, settlement and long-term integration are more informed by academic research than is typical for other Canadian public policy issues” (277).

Basically, they only accept immigrants based on their skill, what they can offer and if they can contribute to the country’s wealth. From my point of view, this is a really smart way to ensure that by welcoming foreigners the country will only prosper, as they only allow immigrants who are well educated and capable of working. Because of this, “Immigrants to Canada work harder, create more businesses and typically use fewer welfare dollars than do their native-born compatriots” (Tepperman). They are not only helping immigrants to have a better quality of life, but they are also helping their country to developed more economically. “In Canada, almost two-thirds of permanent visas last year were given for economic needs” (Zakaria). This only evidences their need to fill jobs.

Moreover, because “about half of all Canadian immigrants arrive with a college degree” and they are well educated, they create business which contribute to their economic growth (Tepperman). Canada’s immigration policy has proven to be “a tremendous advantage in terms of future market outcomes” (Sweetman 284). For instance, Quebec providence relies mostly on immigrants for their economic growth, as Brahim Boudarbat and Gilles Grenier explain in their article Immigration in Quebec: Labour Market Integration and Contribution to Economic Growth, “Quebec and the rest of Canada will certainly continue to depend increasingly on immigration to provide the labour market with the workforce needed to operate effectively” that is because their native population doesn’t have the necessary skills to fulfill the market needs (14). “Two of the last three governors-general — Canada’s ceremonial heads of state — were born abroad (one in Haiti and one in Hong Kong), and the current cabinet has more Sikhs (four) than the cabinet of India” this proves the positive impacts that newcomers have in Society (Tepperman).

Canada does not only need immigrants for economic reasons, but also “The nation is sparsely populated, has a low birth rate, and needs immigrants for population growth” (Zakaria). As the country has a low birth rate, this means that the elderly population surpasses the younger. If the population doesn’t increase, the next generation will face a problem. Who would finance the living of the next elderly population? For this reason, Canada uses immigrants as a mean to grow their demographics. In fact, “Canada admitted more than 320,000 newcomers-the most on record. Canada boasts one of the highest per-capita immigration rates in the world” (Tepperman). Moreover, Canadians believed that immigration helps them to be a more diverse and multicultural country. “Recent polls show that . . . two thirds see multiculturalism as one of Canada’s key positive features” (Tepperman).

Because Canada needs immigrants, they make sure to provide them the best environment by having a friendly policy towards them. The nation makes sure that children of newcomers have the same level of education as natives, “Immigrant children in Canada schools read at the same level as the native born” (Tepperman). “For adults this [settlement services] includes language training, job search assistance and introductions to Canadian society” (Sweetman 283). This facilitates their adaptation process while working in Canada and serves as an incentive for immigrants to stay. Moreover, Canadian’s newcomers prove to be successful “Canadian immigrants are almost 20 percent more likely to own their own homes and 7 percent less likely to live in poverty than their American equivalents” (Tepperman).

Finally, Canada has proven to be a successful country regarding their immigration policies. In my opinion, they have known how to manage newcomers for their advantage in multiple ways. By their point system they ensure that whoever enters their country has job skills, are well educated and are willing to work. Thanks to this, their economy is slowly growing. Moreover, new immigrants contribute with population growth, which they need as they have low birth rates.

Works Cited

1. Boudarbat, Brahim, and Gilles Grenier. “Immigration in Quebec: Labour Market
2. Integration and Contribution to Economic Growth”. Canadian Ethnic Studies Journal, vol. 49 , no. 2,2017, pp.13-32. Galileo, URL: http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.mga.edu/eds/detail/detail?vid=8&sid=f95a03c7-869a-49e8-8e64-203ec0b98e1e%40sessionmgr4008&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=edsglr&AN=edsgcl.515601155. Accessed 28 Nov. 2018.
3. Sweetman, Arthur. “Canada’s Immigration System: Lessons for Europe?”. Intereconomics, vol.
4. 52, no. 5, Sept. 2017, pp. 277-284. Galileo, DOI: 10.1007/s10272-017-0690-7. Accessed 28 Nov. 2018.
5. Tepperman, Jonathan. “Canada’s Ruthlessly Smart Immigration Policy”. New York
6. times, June 2017. Brightspace, URL:
7. https://mga.view.usg.edu/d2l/le/content/1699052/viewContent/27845841/View?ou=1699052. Accessed 28 Nov. 2018.
8. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2017).“International Migration Report 2017: Highlights”. URL: http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/migration/publications/migrationreport/docs/MigrationReport2017_Highlights.pdf. Accessed 28 Nov. 2018.
9. Zakaria, Fareed. “Immigration Lessons for the U.S. From Around the World”. CNN, June
10. 2012. Brightspace, URL: https://mga.view.usg.edu/d2l/le/content/1699052/viewContent/27843458/View?ou=1699052. Accessed 28 Nov. 2018.

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