I came across this article in one of the immigration forums .I don't know how far this holds good in todays environment there in CANADA........
\"As was being feared, about difference in action and preaching, it is slowly coming to the fore.
Racism, disparity of pay, under utilisation of foreign skills or even non recognition of skills in the name of Canadian experience,are bringing a very bad name to the Canadian community, internationally. Just to shy away from truth and claim to be the most open society will not do, it has to be implemented.
Please read on the recent study by Institute for Research on Public Policy
Montreal, captures the large picture and paints a rather grim scenario about the plight of foreign-trained immigrants in this country.
The study says these immigrants have better skills than native-born Canadians, but they cannot find the jobs they are trained for. It tracks a trend which shows that over the years, the incomes of immigrants have fallen more and more behind those of native-born Canadians.
An average immigrant in 1980 earned about 80 per cent of what an average Canadian earned. But today, the same immigrant earns just 60 per cent of what the average Canadian earns, the study says.
Worse still, while 86 out of every 100 immigrants were employed in 1980, today just 68 out of every 100 immigrants have jobs. On the other hand, 85.4 per cent native-born Canadians have jobs.
The study, conducted by Prof Jeffrey Reitz of the University of Toronto, points out that Canada loses more than $2 billion because of underutilisation of immigrants' skill.
Most foreign degrees are still not recognised in this country. Though immigration authorities charge money from immigrants for re-orientation programmes in Canada, once they land here these people are left to fend for themselves. Qualified professionals are forced to work in 7/11 stores and gas stations.
Though Canada is perpetually short of trained nurses and medical graduates, little is being done to put foreign-trained medical graduates through re-orientation programmes. Because once they are inside this country, their fresh training and licensing, etc., become the responsibility of the provincial governments.
Prof Reitz has warned that underutilisation of immigrants' skills could lead to burdens on social security. Which, in turn, could lead to backlash against immigration.
The current immigration policy, he says, has huge social and psychological implications as it leads to a lose-lose situation for all. These skilled immigrants lose because of underutilisation of their skills. They suffer loss in self-esteem, sliding into poverty and turning to the social security net. And this country is paying a huge economic price through lost output.
Indo-Canadian MP and Official Opposition Critic for Multiculturalism Deepak Obhrai has joined Prof Reitz and called the government's policies on multiculturalism \"eyewash\".
Hitting out at minister Raymond Chan and his department for displaying \"a remarkable disconnect'' with the real world, Obhrai says the annual report is \"full of how government departments are all extremely busy developing 'strategies' and 'best practices' and appointing 'champions' to promote multiculturalism. It's full of all kinds of wonderful words that boil down to patting themselves on the back for the great job they think they're doing. Why doesn't the minister tell us about visible minorities in the private and public sector? Their representation in senior management is next to nil.
\"What the minister has presented is an eye-wash. Why aren't they telling the truth, exposed by independent studies about our policies about visible minorities? Why don't they tell that racism is a big impediments for visible minorities?\" he asks.
According to Obhrai, there is still a glass ceiling for visible minorities in our country. \"They don't deem them fit for top positions. The other day I was talking to the CBC boss and asked him why there were not visible minorities in his department. He just nodded his head. Take any department, and show how many immigrants they have. Take the whole government. Show me where they have visible minorities in the high places. I meet highly qualified immigrants who have chucked their jobs in their native countries to come to Canada to find that they are not accepted. Doctors are driving taxies. Engineers are doing odd jobs. Why do we bring these people here and then humiliate them?\" he asks.
Racism, he says, is a fact of life in Canada even today, narrating a report by a Calgary University professor about the discrimination against Chinese in jobs.
\"We have even night clubs where visible minorities cannot go. Though they have no signs outside telling you not to enter, the bouncers will not allow you in. I came to know one such incident in Calgary where the bouncer stopped some Indian guys from entering the club. I have asked them to file a complaint with the human rights commission of Alberta province. We have a long way to go,\" he remarks.
Narrating his personal experiences, the Calgary East MP says, \"When I applied for the job of an accountant with the city of Calgary, they refused to give it to me. I went to the court, and they gave me the job. The manager for human resources, who had denied me the job, later became friends with me. One day I asked him why he had first denied me this job. He said: \"Because you were a visible minority. But six months after I joined them, they started giving jobs to visible minorities.''
Canadian multiculturalism has yet miles to go.
(Taken from an article in HT)\"
Thanks for sharing.
Can you please provide a link to the immigration forums where you got the article from?
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Deal With Reality or Reality Will Deal With You
This study was published a few days ago in Toronto Star - I think within last two weeks.
Chandresh
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Chandresh
Advice is free – lessons I charge for!!
Thanks for the info Chadresh,
I will search thru the online version of the newspaper
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Deal With Reality or Reality Will Deal With You
News paper articals that keep repeating " Canada is lossing face in international community" however do not make there way to foreign newspapers. Do Canadian news papers really mean what they write or it is a stunt adobted by NEWS papers in Canada for increasing circulation.
Think, now immigrants(visible minority) is emerging as a visible major consumers of Canada. How to attract them to buy product. Talk in their favour, concerns and culture.
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Try overtaking child's imagination
I read it in discussion forums of http://www.immigration.ca" rel="nofollow">LINK
Is racism prominent in Canada?
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