Here either you need to leave everything as is and just pour in additional funds, increasing the number and quality of training of immigration officials working in embassies, or a complete change of approach to immigration is required.
For example, what justifies the introduction of a list of priority occupations? The fact that not all immigrants can find employment in their profession upon arriving in Canada. At one time, a series of articles appeared in the Canadian press with sad stories about a professor from India working as a taxi driver, and a doctor from Africa forced to work as a hotel maid. It was after this that a government campaign began to attract those immigrants to Canada who can easily find jobs in Canada.
As a result, it all essentially boiled down to drawing up a list of priority occupations, the requirements of which are extremely difficult to meet, and introducing a cap on the number of applications accepted. That is, they essentially closed the door, explaining it as concern for those for whom they closed the door. The question is, could a more acceptable solution not have been found?
After all, what is wrong with a professor from India working as a taxi driver? A highly educated taxi driver is better than an immigrant without education who relies on social welfare. Yes, working as a professor is better, but if he works as a taxi driver in Canada and does not return to work as a professor in India, then he is content with that situation. The same applies to everyone else – if people cannot find work in their profession but continue to live in Canada, then they are satisfied with that.
From my observations, I can say quite definitely that if people want to work in their profession, they will achieve the opportunity to do so. If people think that this requires too much effort that they are not willing to put in, then it only means that they are content with what they have, and there is no need to make a tragedy out of it. Moreover, I am sure that the opportunity for new immigrants to receive welfare and any other social assistance in the first two to three years after immigrating to Canada should be eliminated. In the event that immigrants cannot find work and cannot support themselves in Canada, they will be forced to leave to where they came from.
Such immigration Darwinism will create conditions so that only those immigrants remain in Canada who are able to adapt to Canadian society, can find work, and truly value the opportunity to live in Canada. Most importantly, it will make it possible to shield against those immigrants who come to Canada in hopes of social assistance and are poorly adapted for life in this country.
Undoubtedly, these measures may seem harsh and unfair. However, they will be much fairer for the residents of Canada, and will be fair for those who would like to live in this country, have everything necessary to successfully find employment and adapt, but due to current rules do not have the opportunity to successfully go through the immigration process.
The same applies to business programs. Instead of limiting the number of applications accepted, essentially closing the door to those who truly want to live and work in Canada, it would have been sufficient to change the requirements for the amount of investment in the country's economy by significantly increasing them, while eliminating the guaranteed return after five years. This would immediately become a natural barrier, and only those who truly want to come to Canada would submit applications. At the same time, the Canadian economy would receive much more investment, and in areas where a positive outcome is not guaranteed.
As for the Entrepreneur program, which is currently under review, the most logical step would be to tighten the requirements for the business that the immigrant must open after entering Canada, including increasing the minimum amount to be invested in development and the number of employees he must hire.
While the main task of the federal and provincial governments at present is to reduce unemployment and create new jobs, changing the conditions of the Entrepreneur program and giving it priority status would be the best solution for Canada. However, based on the negative experience of how the Harper government solves problems, it can be assumed that everything will be limited to a slight tightening of requirements along with introducing a cap on the number of applications accepted.
That is, an approach where conditions are created for natural selection of those immigrants who would be useful for Canada and who can adapt to local conditions, and most importantly, would have a strong desire to do so, is not yet observed. Personally, for me this is evidence that the conservatives currently lack any idea of what Canada wants to gain from immigration.
This is also indirectly indicated by the fact that the Canadian Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration is currently conducting intensive consultations with all stakeholders on whether Canada needs immigration and to what extent. Incidentally, polls show that the majority of Canadians support the influx of immigrants into the country, considering it a boon. Interestingly, the most opposed to immigration are immigrants themselves, where the support percentage is the lowest.
Perhaps changes to the immigration system are indeed overdue; new times dictate new approaches. However, until these approaches are developed, was it worth breaking something that was working properly? The existing system was not ideal, but it was quite functional.
As confirmation, one can cite the example that the Swedish government recently published a report proposing to adopt the Canadian immigration model as the most effective national immigration system. And one can fully agree with the Swedes' conclusions: despite the fact that Canadian society is one of the most ethnically diverse in the world, it is one of the most tolerant and socially prosperous, with low levels of social tension and crime. At least, immigrants in Canada integrate into society more easily than anywhere else.
To be continued.
Elena RYABININA.
«Russian Toronto»