Newcomers to Canada need appropriate supports

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/01/2024 (952 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I moved to Canada as an immigrant. I’m now a citizen. I support Canadian immigration. Canada’s low birth rate means it needs immigrants to thrive.

Yet, without improving infrastructure and supports, Canada fails both immigrants and citizens. Fixing this requires every level of government and community support. It’s possible if we work together — starting now.

Canada’s federal government recognizes that we don’t have enough housing. It’s wrong to ask people to move to Canada while there aren’t enough affordable housing units available for those already living here. While federal funding is imperative, it has to be tied to guarantees to prioritize affordable housing. Many Canadian housing markets are nearly impossible for immigrants to afford. We must address this if we expect our immigration numbers to increase.

Manitoba’s premier, Wab Kinew, suggests renovating the many existing, but subpar structures in Manitoba to make them habitable. This would be a great start. Over 2,000 Manitoba Housing units remain empty and in disrepair. Repairing existing public and private infrastructure is often faster and better for the environment. It keeps demolition waste out of landfills. However, these repairs have to be done in an upstanding way so that these buildings have real renewal prospects. It’s not fair to offer substandard, unsafe homes.

Increased immigration comes with needs.

Immigration supports and social services have to be improved to meet the needs of both newcomers and longtime Manitobans.

We’re currently offering a hodgepodge of social supports that allow people to fall through the cracks. Adjusting to a new culture is overwhelming. Even well-educated people need to be shown how pharmacare works, or how the school system is structured.

Although I have Canadian kids in middle school, I’m often unsure how certain parts of the educational system work. While kind educators have helped, none of this is self-explanatory for those who grew up in other countries.

I still remember calling 311 to ask about how trash and recycling worked. Although I’m an adult with graduate degrees and had lived in two other countries, the operator assumed I was stupid when I asked where to purchase “approved” bags for yard waste and recyclables. Note: It’s not dumb to ask how the system works!

A recent CBC piece covered an app, Expedier, created by Kingsley Madu, an immigrant who was stymied by how hard it is to establish a Canadian credit history. This isn’t a new problem.

When we arrived almost 15 years ago, it took over a year to establish Canadian credit. Everything costs more as an immigrant. We had trouble getting a mortgage. When we found a credit union that worked with newcomers, we still had to put down 35 per cent of the cost of our home to get one. We had established good credit in the U.S. but our credit history didn’t exist in Canada.

For newcomers with financial resources, a reputable financial organization should be able to make this easier. For those who need financial help, that same organization should help newcomers avoid predators and scams.

Education is a two-pronged immigration issue. All newcomers need help, but children in particular need support. This works well when there’s infrastructure in place, such as when Winnipeg’s Ukrainian bilingual schools absorbed children fleeing Ukraine’s war.

It’s much harder when newcomers are isolated in communities that lack English/French as an additional language support or don’t have help to integrate children and their parents into a Canadian system.

Further, Canada’s immigration system prioritizes recruiting educated people. Once educated newcomers arrive, they are told their credentials are worthless. In many fields, the system privileges Canadian degrees and certificates to such a degree that newcomers are excluded and can’t use their professional training.

Canadians must invest in credentialing systems to quickly approve professionals’ degrees and skills. These credentialing systems could develop efficient ways to get these professionals into their relevant fields. Canada needs every newcomer’s help — doctors shouldn’t be driving taxis.

Canada needs more medical professionals immediately… but if we recruit more immigrants, we also owe them adequate medical care access. This includes mental health support.

Newcomers may struggle with overwhelming needs. The medical system must be ready to help.

This is particularly important when Canada takes in refugees, particularly those exposed to radicalization or who escape from war-torn areas.

Finally, mentorship is key. Canadians should feel comfortable offering a helping hand to their new neighbours, both in professional areas and home lives. Supporting new colleagues is crucial, even if it’s a chat with a cup of coffee. Ignoring a newcomer’s struggles can result in losing that employee. They may find a more hospitable work environment elsewhere. Many newcomers don’t have family here to celebrate holidays. Offering an invitation on a long weekend may give them one social interaction over three lonely days.

Supporting immigration boosts Canada’s economy. It helps avoid labour shortages. Yet, without housing, social, financial and educational supports, medical and mental health care, and mentorship, we ask immigrants to take the risks and also shoulder all the burdens. For some professionals, it’s not a fair trade.

In a mobile global economy, some newcomers will find better opportunities elsewhere. It’s time for Canadians to hold up our end of the immigration bargain, so that newcomers feel the promises are true. Let’s work harder to deliver on that advertising slogan: the one that promises a better life in Canada.

Joanne Seiff is a Winnipeg freelance writer and the author of three books.