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Dispelling Myths About Immigration to Canada – #ITSTARTS

The YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka is a proud partner of the County of Simcoe’s #ItStarts campaign from March 1st to 31st.  IT STARTS is a public awareness campaign designed to take a proactive steps towards addressing racism and discrimination in Simcoe County. IT STARTS works to promote a unified community that encourages collective action against racism and discrimination.

The YMCA Immigrant Services team was honoured to serve as a lead partner organization for It Starts, sharing with the community what it means to be inclusive and embrace diversity. An important part of this work is dispelling common myths about immigration to Canada. Sadly, anti-immigration sentiments are still prevalent in Canada, despite research that shows Immigration is beneficial to Canada, Canadians, and the newcomers that settle here.

Want to learn more? Read on to learn more on dispelling common myths about immigration to Canada.

Myth #1: Immigrants are a burden on the Canadian economy

The immigration laws of Canada are designed to draw in more talented people than any other category of immigrants, which is a useful strategy for boosting the country’s economy. The majority of immigrants to Canada have degrees in a variety of areas, bringing with them experiences and languages from throughout the globe. They are a priceless asset that will provide Canada a competitive edge on the world market.

Myth #2: Immigrants take jobs from Canadians

Many people wonder why immigrants are brought to Canada when there are job shortages, high unemployment rates, or uncertain economic circumstances. Yet, due to their lack of prior Canadian life experience, immigrants may find it difficult to compete with Canadians for the same employment. Additionally, these individuals may be forced to accept lower-paying professions because the exceptionally high work qualifications they achieved in their home countries (such as medical or legal degrees) do not convert to Canadian counterparts.

It was shown that between 1993 and 2001, immigrants who had lived in Canada for ten years or less than their Canadian-born counterparts had a greater percentage of over-qualification. Despite the fact that many immigrants are highly qualified professionals when they arrive in Canada, their credentials might not be regarded as being on par with those of individuals who were born in Canada and received the same training. Such immigrants are unable to compete for jobs with Canadians who possess comparable qualifications.

Myth #3: Immigrants bring crime to Canada

While some are welcoming new immigrants, others have clung to the myth that they bring crime to Canada, which the facts disprove. Immigrants engage in criminal conduct at considerably lower rates than Canadian-born citizens, according to the International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy. Many newcomers to Canada are searching for security for themselves and their families, merely seeking sanctuary from the horrors and hardships encountered by the threats from their home country.

Myth #4: Internationally trained professionals are not as qualified as Canadian professionals

Forty percent (40%) of professionals who immigrated to Canada after receiving their professional training abroad are currently employed in the same field. Before they can practice their chosen profession in Canada, these experts must complete extensive training, obtain further accreditation, and pass stringent testing to demonstrate that they are equally prepared as Canadian professionals.It’s crucial to be aware that in order to work in their sector, experts with overseas training must have their credentials approved by recognized Canadian assessment authorities.

 

While it’s not a myth that Canada is one of the more welcoming countries to immigrants and offers several immigration pathways for newcomers to live, work, and build a life in Canada, these processes can be complex and are not always easy to understand and navigate. Once they immigrate, they are met with even more challenges, such as:

  1. Difficulty finding a job.
  2. Language barriers.
  3. Lack of resources, including access to public services and social programs.
  4. Finding affordable housing.
  5. Getting used to the cold weather. Most have never had to deal with snow and ice.
  6. Overcoming homesickness.
  7. Difficulties having to obtain a new driver’s license.
  8. Dealing with discrimination.
  9. Learning about our culture.
  10. Learning the laws of Canada as well as being introduced to our police force and public services.

YMCA Immigrant Services ensures eligible newcomers to Canada receive appropriate English language training and settlement services, including assessment of needs, orientation, information and referral, and labour market information in order to feel welcomed in the community and to participate socially, culturally and economically. These services are available to newcomers at no cost.

For more information about our Immigrant Services, please visit us at: https://ymcaofsimcoemuskoka.ca/immigrant-services/


Sources:

Niren. (2022, December 14). 5 Myths and Misconceptions About Immigrants in Canada.

GERAMI. (2019, December 9). Debunking Myths About Immigrating to Canada.

Green Tech Resources. (2021, November 24). Top 12 Canadian Immigration Challenges Every Newcomer Has To Face.

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