COVER STORY

WHY SOME NEWCOMERS ARE LEAVING CANADA

Image credit: LUEMEN RUTKOWSKI on Unsplash.

It’s the end of the Canadian Dream for some. How did we get here?

 By SHAGORIKA EASWAR

Daniel Bernhard brings an intimate awareness of the importance of maintaining a pluralistic democracy, and the imperative to never take the privilege of citizenship for granted to his role as CEO of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC).

A first-generation Canadian, his parents came to Canada from Chile in the 1970s when that country was ruled by a military dictatorship, and his grandparents and great-grandparents were all immigrants and refugees.

Tracing his family’s journey in Canada, Bernhard, who was born and raised in the Toronto area, says his parents’ experience was quite different from that of immigrants coming in today. Working in a factory wasn’t a step down for his father who came to Canada with a high school education. His mother was able to go to university here. They also had family here and that plays a big role in immigrant experience.

Growing up, he was just a regular Canadian kid.

“I owe my entire life to my parents’ decision to move to Canada. At parent-teacher meetings, their accent didn’t matter – everybody had one! I don’t recall any noticeable impact on me as a child of immigrants. Also, harsh as this sounds, we probably faced less discrimination because we’re white.”

He faced barriers of a different kind when he returned to Canada in 2011 after completing his education from the prestigious London School of Economics and Cambridge.

“I had the hardest time finding employment. I was born here but educated elsewhere, had no internship experience in Canada. I did experience what it’s like to be out of the loop. Of course, internationally-educated immigrants face that a million times more.”

From his father’s time through his own to now, some things have changed for the better, but barriers remain in many other areas. Newcomers to Canada now are highly educated and Canada is not adapting to the changing nature of who is coming, says Bernhard.

“My father, for example, was able to find a job and find success. That’s never going to happen today. The importance of credentials has risen in traditional employment and international credentials being devalued is a big issue today. My first landlord had a grade 8 education and a factory job, but he owned three homes. That guy is not coming today.

“We’ve become comfortable with newcomers, got used to the fact that these people are talented – specially through newcomer entrepreneur success – but we tend to forget we’ve asked them to come because of their talent and skills, but somewhere, our perception of newcomers hasn’t caught up with this reality.”

ICC, which hopes to cultivate the journey from residency to citizenship in a manner that immigrants are not left thinking of themselves as just labour market units, is always on the lookout for markers that define this journey, says Bernhard. 

“We have data that the percentage of people claiming citizenship is declining. We conducted a study to get a sense of what life is like for immigrants. Why are people reluctant to make a commitment to a land they chose to come to leaving everything familiar behind?”

The study, conducted in partnership with Leger, asked both newcomers and longer established Canadians about their thoughts on immigration, citizenship, and challenges faced by newcomers when establishing themselves in Canada, including underemployment and lack of credential recognition.

The results were sobering.

23% of university-educated new Canadians say they are likely to move to another country in the next two years.

The actual number that leave may be lower, Bernhard points out, but people are expressing frustration, and we should be taking note.

“The sky is not falling down, but the storm clouds are definitely gathering. It’s a statement of concern.”

30% of 18-34-year-old new Canadians also said they might move.

Image credit: LOLY GALINA on Unsplash.

Looking at the lower end of this age bracket, an 18 or 20-year-old likely didn’t immigrate on their own steam. He or she either came as a student or with family, immigration was probably not a conscious choice or decision. Their saying they might leave may be a result of factors outside their control, might be impacted by family experience.

Bernhard agrees that not everyone who is considering leaving was the one who initiated the immigration.

“But they are still considering options. These are smart, ambitious people, we’ve invested a lot in them. Their parents have shown a lot of enterprise in moving to a new land. They have absolutely the right pedigree, they are the people we are looking for, that we should be helping succeed.”

And yet, a Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) study reveals that while over 29% of people in Ontario and 47% of the population of the Greater Toronto Area are immigrants, they face:

Higher unemployment. The unemployment rate in the Greater Toronto Area in 2017 was 9.3% for recent immigrants compared to 6.4% for people born in Canada.

Precarious employment. Immigrants are more likely to be in precarious employment, which leads to 46% lower earnings, 34% lower household income compared to secure and stable jobs.

Wage and income gaps. Recent immigrants in Ontario earn 33% less than people born in Canada.

Lower income for same education. In Ontario, with a bachelor’s degree from Canada in science, technology,  engineering and mathematics, immigrants earn around $10,000 less than people born in Canada with the same qualifications.

And women are worse off. Recent female immigrants are disproportionately affected, with an unemployment rate of 13.2% in 2017, compared to 8% for recent male immigrants.

But another study, this one by IDP, the world’s largest international student placement company, reveals that 33 per cent of students wanting to study in Canada intend to work in the country upon completing their studies and 30 per cent intend to seek permanent residency in Canada.

Bernhard helps make sense of seemingly contradictory statistics.

It’s not a case of different sets of numbers not matching, nor of student expectations (in the IDP study) coming up against hard reality (TRIEC).

“There’s no one face to it. We are talking about international students, work permit holders, permanent residents, citizens... a river with many tributaries. Remember, if 30 per cent said they’d likely leave, 70 per cent said they’d stay. We have to keep the figures in balance.

“So actually, I’d say the studies fit together coherently. We hired someone who is originally from India to run one of our programs. He would say that in India, things move only if you know someone. His expectation is that this would never happen here. But the reality is that it does. Perhaps to a lesser extent, but it does. Family and professional networks do make a difference. Immigrants are well aware that there’s a cost to moving. They recognize that their status might take a hit, that they might have to accept a lower income. But they hope that it’s for a limited period.

“This is what drives the optimism in international students, who are in a different position than those who come with international qualifications and try to enter the workforce.”

Daniel Bernhard, CEO of Institute for Canadian Citizenship: “What we’re seeing is that some of the high calibre people we’d like to attract are finding that life is not as great as advertised.”

According to the ICC-Leger study, immigrants with university degrees tend to have less favourable opinions on matters related to fair job opportunity and pay than other immigrants. And while most Canadians and new immigrant Canadians alike believe that Canada provides immigrants with a good quality of life, Canadians have a much more positive outlook on Canada’s immigration policy compared to new Canadian immigrants.

Leger has been compiling data on immigrant-related issues for the past 30 years and that data shows Canadians being pretty supportive of immigrants, says Bernhard.

“Even if it is more in theory than in practice, but theory matters. Everyone may not understand the full extent of it, or may not see it, but there’s a lot of agreement on the fact that newcomers face challenges. But now newcomers are telling us that it is more difficult than you think. So we have to learn to recognize those challenges.”

One question that Bernhard is asked often, and one that really annoys him, is, “Are immigrants just being spoiled with all these resources being rolled out for them?”

 “The short answer is, no. Immigrants pay a price for uprooting and moving, they understand the cost. But a cost forever or as an investment? They will do most things to give it a shot, take a step back to take a step forward later. But what’s a reasonable time horizon?”

The study reveals that new Canadian immigrants are more likely to believe that Canadians don’t understand the challenges that immigrants face and feel the rising cost of living will make immigrants less likely to stay in Canada. Among those who would not recommend Canada as a place to live, current leadership and the high cost of living were the top two reasons.

One might argue that while in most of the countries immigrants come from – India, China and the Philippines being the top three sources – the taxes might be somewhat lower, there is no free education or universal healthcare or social supports. So is the cost of living a deterrent or is it lack of opportunity?

“It’s the interrelationship of the cost of living and employment opportunities,” says Bernhard. “If the cost of living doubles but your salary triples or even keeps up, then you’re okay. The people coming in are better educated, have higher lifestyle and status expectations. My reading is that it’s not unreasonable to wonder if leaving behind quality of life A to settle for A- minus is worth it.”

The leadership in these countries also veers towards the dictatorial or divisive, so what is it that new Canadians are looking for in Canadian leadership?

Berhnard has an interesting take.

“That’s the story we tell ourselves, that our institutional strengths and political system are the best. While the findings may have to do with expectations rather than performance, the study reveals that having a ‘clean’ government is not as much of a selling point as we’d like to think. What we’re seeing is that some of the high-calibre people we’d like to attract are finding that life is not as great as advertised. The pandemic, for instance, was not handled equitably. And we’re seeing a conflict between optimism and frustration. As long as there is hope that hard work will pay off, immigrants will work to make their dreams come true. But as time passes, optimism declines.

“This is not just an immigrant issue, it’s a whole-of-society problem. If we value their talent and fresh ideas, if we recognize that immigrants contribute to Canada’s prosperity and economic growth, we have to identify ways to make this work. We can’t just sit back and assume all immigrants are thrilled to be here.”

Asked if ICC is making any recommendations towards policy changes or other ways to optimize immigrant inclusion, he says, “We still have lots of research ahead of us, but this is a starting place. If we’re attracting high quality people, that part is working. What we’re not recognizing on the ground is who is applying. These are not your immigrants of the 50s, these are IIT graduates. We have to revisit the premium placed on Canadian experience. I don’t think it’s intentional or a way to keep immigrants out, but it needs to be addressed.

“The policies on paper are good, but a whole lot of fine print issues remain. This in not just about doctors and nurses not being allowed to work, it’s about there not being enough healthcare professionals for all Canadians. I will say again, this is a whole-of-society issue where people should be asking their representatives why they are waiting for a family physician when there are all these trained and experienced people waiting to find work.

“Canada is a nation of immigrants – and one of the stories we tell ourselves is that we are welcoming to new immigrants, wherever they may be from. But while this may be generally true, data points to the fact that many new Canadians are having a crisis of confidence in Canada – and that should be ringing alarm bells all over Ottawa.”

“Tomorrow’s international students are motivated by the return on investment of their education and are willing to change country and subject to secure future employment,” says Jonah Duffin, Director of External Relations at IDP. “While Canada should congratulate itself on the positive perceptions it enjoys and the popularity it has amongst international students, it must not be complacent. The US is a key competitor, and its attractiveness is increasing rapidly while Australia is reopening its borders with ambitious plans to rebound. In nearly twenty years in working in this industry, this is the most competitive I have seen it with countries looking to not only grow international student numbers but also to diversify the countries they recruit from. Intelligent, targeted and data-driven student recruitment strategies will be important in achieving these aims.”

According to the IDP data, Canada remains the number one destination of choice for students with 27 per cent of respondents stating it was their first-choice destination. This is followed by the USA (20 per cent) and UK and Australia in joint third place (19 per cent).

Something needs to be done, says Daniel Bernhard, if Canada wants to retain and benefit from the talent pool it invites to the country.

Because these immigrants have options and other countries want them too.

And an insight from Kathryn Dennler in her impact paper for The Conference Board of Canada: Settlement service providers address the needs of an immigrant that require specific expertise on immigration, whereas it is the responsibility of the community to make newcomer families feel welcome.

 • ICC is a national non-profit organization co-founded by former governor general Adrienne Clarkson and John Ralston Saul. It works to inspire Canadians to be inclusive, create opportunities to connect, and encourage active citizenship. Since 2005, the ICC has also supported more than 300,000 new Canadian citizens with programming to encourage a sense of belonging and build a more inclusive Canada. The full survey data is available at inclusion.ca.  

IT’S LOSE-LOSE FOR BOTH INTERNATIONALLY-TRAINED PHYSICIANS AND PATIENTS

Image credit: USMAN YOUSAF on Unsplash.

With files from TRIEC and MEDIMAP

The Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) supports organizations to become more inclusive, and help newcomers expand their professional networks and understand the local labour market.

According to TRIEC, newcomers contribute in many ways.

They are replacements for an ageing workforce. Canada’s population is ageing. Population growth is expected to decline to zero and turn negative in less than 20 years.

Highly educated labour force. Over half of recent immigrants have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Almost 17 per cent of them hold a master’s or doctorate degree.

Higher economic growth. Over 5 per cent of all immigrants start their own businesses which create more jobs and attract trade ties to Canada.

Innovation. Immigration rates in Canada are linked to greater foreign direct investment (FDI), which in turn increases innovation.

Benefits of an inclusive workforce include a highly skilled talent pool

Immigration contributes to a more dynamic and skilled workforce. 65 per cent of employers rely on diversity and inclusion initiatives to attract and retain talent from this pool.

Companies with diverse work-forces at all levels are 33 per cent more likely to lead in their industry in terms of profit.

And yet, immigrants struggle to break through multiple barriers. Internationally trained medical doctors (ITMDs) being a classic example.

Last year, ICC ran #EqualChance, an advocacy program to give them an equal chance to practise medicine in Canada.

“I have seen doctors cry while sharing their experience,” team lead- Roberto Alvarez had told Desi News. “Grown men and women reduced to tears.”

Thousands of ITMDs invest  money and time – often years – watching their dream slip farther away while Canadians suffer through a shortage of physicians.

 Blake Adam, CEO of Medimap, a Canadian technology company that publishes wait-times online for walk-in clinics, talks about how the growing doctor shortage in Ontario is impacting walk-in clinics.

Communities across Ontario are facing a severe doctor shortage. This has created enormous pressure on walk-in clinics as more and more people can’t find a family doctor.

Last month, the City of Collingwood reported that more than 17,000 residents don’t have a family physician and the growing retirement community needs at least 22 more family physicians to fill the gap. In Kingston, the problem is even worse, with 29,000 residents in need of a family doctor. The city said it needs at least 20 additional family physicians immediately, and will need to replace 38 doctors who are set to retire within the next decade. 

In both cases, residents are now relying on local walk-in clinics or the local emergency room. To make matters worse, the doctor shortage is now beginning to impact walk-in clinics in some rural communities.

A walk-in clinic in Cornwall closed its doors because it didn’t have enough doctors.

Medimap is currently used by more than 1,200 walk-in clinics across the country and helps people find out how long the wait time is at each walk-in clinic in their community.

Not only does this help patients receive timely care, it also helps the healthcare system optimize its resources by diverting people to clinics with the shortest wait times.