The skills deficit. (Immigration--Policy).

Welders are needed in Wetaskiwin. There's a shortage of tile-setters in Tillsonburg. And, engineers are scarce in Edmonston. In fact, Canadian businesses are having difficulty finding skilled workers in many parts of the country. The prediction is that this shortage of trained people will get worse--a lot worse.

Canada accepts more immigrants, measured as a percentage of our population, than any other country in the world. In the year 2000, a total of 227,363 people settled here, that's 0.74% of the country's population at the time.

Economists, sociologists, politicians, businesspeople, humanitarians, and many others tell us that bringing in a quarter of a million new Canadians a year is vital to our country's economic health. Ernie Stokes, who runs an economics research institute, says even this number isn't anywhere near high enough. In a 2001 report for the Centre for Spatial Economics, Mr. Stokes predicts Canada will need to bring in more than 500,000 immigrants a year by 2008 or economic growth will stall.

Ottawa has been putting out the same message. In March 2001, Human Resources Minister Jane Stewart said Canada will face a shortage of one million skilled workers by 2020. Little more than a year later, the Liberal government of Jean Chretien said Canada would accept an annual quota of immigrants equal to 1% of the current population of the country. That would mean more than 300,000 new Canadians each year; a substantial increase over recent years (1997-216,024: 1998-174,191: 1999-190,001).

But, the general public may not be as willing to make room for increased numbers of immigrants. In a poll in March 2002, 54% of Canadians thought Canada was allowing too many immigrants into the country (more on this later). Popular or not, policy-makers are preparing to boost immigration levels.

In June 2002, a new Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) became law. Citizenship and Immigration Canada says the new act, "encourages workers with flexible skills to choose Canada; and helps families reunite more quickly. IRPA is also tough on those who pose a threat to Canadian security while continuing Canada's tradition of providing a safe haven to people who need protection." However, about the only people who seem to agree with this statement are Immigration Minister Denis Coderre and his department's officials.

The new Immigration Act has been heavily criticized by businesspeople, community immigration workers, immigration lawyers, and even some backbench MPs from Minister Coderre's own Liberal Party.

Jim Karygiannis is a Liberal Toronto-area Member of Parliament with many immigrants living in his riding. He's particularly upset that the new rules apply to people already in the system. Hundreds of thousands of would-be immigrants applied to come to Canada under the old system and they will now have to meet the stricter requirements of the new Act. Mr. Coderre said that officials would continue to process applications under the earlier rules for several months. But, the backlog is so large it will take years to work through all the applications on file.

"My constituents are still going to be screwed," said Mr. Karygiannis.

Immigration lawyers are almost universally against the new Act. Lawyer Mendel Green says that under the new rules, a skilled worker with a three-year technical diploma, 15 years of formal education, perfect English-language skills, and a spouse with a university degree would not qualify to become a landed immigrant. Mr. Green claims the new immigration law "Virtually shuts down immigration."

The business community doesn't like the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act either. Among others, the Canadian Association of Management Consultants (CAMC) made a presentation to the federal government as it was putting the finishing touches to the new immigration act. The CAMC pointed out that:

* "As many as 300,000 skilled job opportunities are not being filled in today's economy;

* "83% of Canadian companies anticipate problems in recruiting skilled workers they need; and,

* "By 2004, fully 75% of the jobs in the Canadian economy will require a university degree."

The Association went on to state that it feels Ottawa doesn't grasp the seriousness of the skills deficit, nor did the then-proposed new act do much to deal with the problem. "The Association and its members are concerned ... the proposed regulations risk making Canada less competitive in attracting the best and brightest immigrants from abroad."

The new act is supposed to make it easier to keep out the bad guys. Since the attacks on the United States on 11 September 2001, there has been a great deal of talk, but not much evidence, about how easy it was for terrorists and their supporters to get into Canada. However, Ottawa's policy-makers have responded to the threat by tightening loopholes and speeding up the refugee claim process. But, that is a very tricky job. It's very difficult to hold the door open for the high-quality immigrants Canada is looking for and, at the same time, make sure that a few creeps don't slip in with them.

It's the possibility of crooks, ne'er-do-wells, and terrorists getting past the gatekeepers that contributes to the uneasiness most Canadians have towards immigration. A poll conducted in February 2002 found that 54% of Canadians believed too many immigrants are Welcomed into Canada. The Leger Marketing survey found that only 26% of us feel too few immigrants are settling in Canada.

Citizenship and Immigration official Klaudios Mustakas was dismayed by the poll results. He pointed out that many Canadians falsely believe that a high number of immigrants end up on welfare or in jail. Study after study over many years has shown the opposite to be the case; people born in Canada are more likely than immigrants to be on social assistance or doing time in prison.

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES:

1. Immigration Minister Denis Coderre says he favours using fingerprints or eye scans on identity cards that landed immigrants need to travel. There has been no suggestion yet that Canadian citizens might be required to have such personal identification or even that they should have identity cards. Do you think employing these so-called biometric identifiers is a good idea jar (a) immigrants, (b) refugees, (c) all citizens, (d) none of the above?

2. In opposing the use of official policy to make some immigrants settle in places the government tells them to, business expert David Bond makes a number of points. In an article in The Globe and Mail, Dr. Bond wrote that: "Telling immigrants that they mill have to go to certain places and not others goes against everything that is fundamental to Canada. We used such policies before the Second World War in an effort to stop the immigration of Jews fleeing Nazis. It was not our finest hour. Must we go backward rather than forward? Have we learned nothing from past mistakes?

"What is wrong with incentives rather than punitive programs? What is wrong with these targeted regions trying to recruit immigrants themselves and putting in place support mechanisms that would make immigrants feel welcome? Must we chain immigrants to the land?" Use the questions posed by Dr. Bond as starting points far discussion on the making of immigration policy.

The target numbers for immigrant arrivals to Canada
in 2002 were set at a total of between 210,000 and
235,000 people. Of these, about 125,000 people were
expected to enter under the points system as skilled workers.
The family reunification program would account for about 60,00
people, and about 30,000 refugees would be admitted. Smaller
numbers were anticipated to arrive under the business and
other special programs.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

FACT FILE

The four Atlantic Provinces and Manitoba all have declining or flat population levels while 53% of all immigrants to Canada settle in Toronto.

Without immigration, Canada's population will begin to decline in 2010.

WHO GETS IN

There are several ways in which people qualify for permanent residence in Canada. They include:

SKILLED WORKER. There are six selection criteria, and points are awarded in each. A maximum of 25 points can be awarded for education, but to get the top score an applicant must have a Masters Degree or PhD and at least 17 years of full-time study. High school graduates with no post-secondary education score five points. Under languages, a total of 24 points can be awarded, but that would only go to someone with a high level of proficiency in both English and French. Four years of work experience will gather in 21 points, the highest mark in this category. Applicants between the ages of 21 and 49 are awarded ten points; two points are deducted for every year over or under that bracket. A confirmed offer of permanent employment in Canada is given ten points. The last criterion is adaptability, which is given a maximum of ten points. This includes factors such as spouse's education, some previous Canadian work or education experience, and family already living in Canada. The pass mark is 75 points, plus would-be immigrants must pay an application fee of $975. Successful applicants must give proof they have enough money to support themselves in Canada and their families for at least six months.

BUSINESS CLASS IMMIGRANT. Business immigrants are people who can invest in, or start businesses in Canada. There are three categories. "Investors" must show that they have business experience, a minimum net worth of $800,000 and they must make an investment of $400,000. "Entrepreneurs" are people who will own and actively manage businesses in Canada. Entrepreneurs must demonstrate business experience, a minimum net worth of $300,000, and are subject to conditions upon arrival in Canada. "Self-employed persons" must have the intention and ability to create their own employment. They are expected to contribute to the cultural or athletic life of Canada. They may create their own employment by purchasing and managing a farm in Canada.

FAMILY CLASS IMMIGRANTS. Canadian citizens and permanent residents living in Canada, 18 years of age or older, may sponsor close relatives or family members who want to become permanent residents of Canada. Sponsors must promise to support the family members for between three and ten years. There is an application fee of $550.

INTERNATIONAL ADOPTEES. Canadian citizens or permanent residents are allowed to adopt children from another country and bring them here to live. This process is very complicated and must satisfy provincial, Canadian, and international laws.

PROVINCIAL NOMINATION. Most provinces in Canada have an agreement with the federal government that allows them to play a more direct role in selecting immigrants who wish to settle in that province. Under the Canada-Quebec Accord on Immigration, Quebec is able to establish its own immigration requirements and select immigrants who will adapt well to living in the province.

THE POINT SYSTEM

People wanting to settle in Canada must pass a kind of examination. They have get a mark of at least 75 out of 100 to be granted the right to permanent resident status. Points are awarded for such things as the ability to speak French or English, level of education, work experience, or having a firm job offer.

Under the old system, there was a list of occupations that faced a shortage; applicants with skills that fitted those jobs were awarded additional points. This led to a lot of silliness. For quite some time, the list said there was a shortage of exotic dancers in Canada. Thousands of young women from Eastern Europe got into Canada under the pretext of being strippers.

The new rules do not allow for extra points to be handed out for specific occupations. The changes are supposed to make for the easier entry of skilled individuals who can readily adapt to the ever-changing Canadian labour market. The government wants to select people who can show their flexibility rather than their skill in one intended occupation.

As Renee Mercier at Citizenship and Immigration Canada explains: "The focus [of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act] will be on flexible skills and communication ability. It's also to ascertain whether the person can find a job quickly, become a functioning member of the community shortly after arriving, and has the wherewithal to integrate and proceed."

YOU WANT ME TO LIVE WHERE?

Eight out of ten immigrants to Canada settle in Toronto, Vancouver, or Montreal. Immigration Minister Denis Coderre wants to be able to tell a lot of these new Canadians that they must make their homes in places such as Moose Jaw, North Bay, or Yarmouth. And, nine out of ten provincial immigration ministers agree with Mr. Coderre. Quebec is the odd one out of this rare display of federal-provincial harmony.

Remy Trudel is Quebec's Immigration Minister. After an October 2002 meeting with his counterparts he said, "We by far prefer--by far--stimulating conditions of attraction, welcome, integration, and professional development ... over coercion." And, Quebec is not alone.

Dr. David Bond doesn't think much of the idea of forcing immigrants to live where governments say they must live. Dr. Bond is a business expert with the Canada West Foundation. He has written that: "Where emigrants go in the world is ... subject to economic forces and we are in a fierce competition for the best the world has to offer. Will sending them to small or remote communities where there will be (few), if any, support networks make us attractive as a destination?"

Queen's University economist Alan Green agrees. He says that highly qualified immigrants have a choice of where to move to. He suggests it will only be what he calls "marginal" immigrants who will be willing to settle in smaller towns and rural areas. He can't see such people doing much to boost local economies.

Some legal experts question the idea of forcing people to live in a particular place. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees Canadians the right to mobility within the country; each of us has the right to live where we chose. It's a safe bet there will be Charter challenges to any requirement that dictates where immigrants may or may not live.

The criticism doesn't deter the immigration ministers. As we went to press officials were working on the details of the plan, but the politicians seem committed to a broad policy of forced placement. The plan is to issue temporary work permits that will allow immigrants to live and work in a specific location. The immigrants will have to promise to stay in that location for three to five years. If they pick up and move within the time period they could be subject to deportation back to their country of origin.

A key focus of the policy will be filling labour-market gaps for professionals. A large number of smaller and more distant communities in Canada have shortages of doctors and nurses, for example. Currently, people in these professions often experience difficulty in getting their qualifications recognized by provincial licensing authorities. Mr. Coderre and his provincial counterparts say they plan to speed up the certification process to get foreign-born medical practitioners settled into under-serviced areas.

Websites

Canadian Association of
Management Consultants
(immigration submission)--http://www.camc.com/
documents/camcimmigration.
pdf

Canadian Bar Association--http://www.cba.org/cba/
sections/c%5Fship/default.
asp

Green and Spiegel
(immigration lawyers)--http://www.gands.com/
index.htm

Immigration and Refugee
Protection Act--http://www.
cic.gc.ca/english/irpa/index.
html