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Broadening the conversation: policy and practice in immigration, settlement and diversity - Canadian Institute for Identities ...
Broadening
                                                the conversation:
                                                policy and practice in immigration,
                                                     settlement and diversity

Guest Editors
Dr. Laurie Carlson Berg, University of Regina
Dr. Fadila Boutouchent, University of Regina

Volume 13 | No. 1 | 2016
Broadening the conversation: policy and practice in immigration, settlement and diversity - Canadian Institute for Identities ...
Programs & Initiatives
                                                                            Voices into Action - Unit 6

                                                                                                                                                                                               Introduction                                              Rural Settlement Services in Western Canada:

Available on                                                                                                                                                                              5    Dr. Laurie Carlson Berg, University of Regina
                                                                                                                                                                                               and Dr. Fadila Boutouchent, University of Regina     34
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         An Inventory and Opportunity Assessment
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Rachael Noelle Pettigrew, William (Bill) Ashton
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         and Eleni Galatsanou
                                                                                                                                                                                               Beyond Government by Surprise:

The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) interactive iPad app and                                                                                                                          8    Governance in the Immigration Sector                      Does Language, Employment Status and Region
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         of Origin Influence Access to Settlement Services?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    39
                                                                                                                                                                                               Keith Banting
website, featuring seven short films, offers a unique and intimate look at
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Jill Bucklaschuk, Pallabi Bhattacharyya,
how young Canadians from different backgrounds weave faith into their
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Lori Wilkinson, Jack Shen, Iqbal Ahmed Chowdhury
daily lives. This immersive media experience was conceived by the NFB                                                                                                                          Pick a Number: The Value of Annual
                                                                                                                                                                                          11
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         and Tamara Edkins
in collaboration with the CRRF. http://thefaithproject.nfb.ca                                                                                                                                  Consultations on Immigration Levels
                                                                                                                                                                                               Jack Jedwab
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Neighbourly Environments of the Canadian

                                                                                                                                                                                               A Win-Win Scenario: An Employer Case Study           43   and Foreign-Born
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Fernando Mata
                                                                                                                                                                                               of the Bidirectional Benefits of Newcomer-
                                                                                             Voices into Action is a FREE ONLINE
                                                                                             educational program that brings key
                                                                                             social justice issues to the forefront
                                                                                                                                                                                          18   Supportive Policies
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         School-Family Collaboration: The Perspectives
                                                                                                                                                                                               Rachael Noelle Pettigrew
                                                                                             while meeting provincial requirements                                                                                                                       of Quebec-born and Immigrant Parents

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    51
                                                                                             for secondary school curriculum.
                                                                                             voicesintoaction.ca                                                                               Bringing Home, Home: Place-Making and                     A Preliminary Analysis of the Results of Two
                                                                                                                                                                                               Therapeutic Landscaping Through Cultural                  Studies

                                                                                                                                   CROSS-CANADA LIVE STREAM EVENT                         22   Rituals and Practices Among African Refugees              Annick Lenoir
                                                                                    FOUR PRESENTATIONS ABOUT DIVERSITY ON CAMPUS

                                                                                                                                                                                               in Winnipeg
                                                                                                                                                                                               Tuula Heinonen and Regine King                            Resettlement Following Genocide:
                                                                                                                                   Monday, March 21, 2016                                                                                                Perceived Experiences of Rwandan Refugees
                                                                                                                                   1 p.m. to 4 p.m. EST
                                                                                                                                   Tune in to the live-streamed event and
                                                                                                                                                                                   1/35

                                                                                                                                                                                               How do the Economic Outcomes of Economic             59   in Toronto

                                                                                                                                                                                          25
                                                                                                                                                                                               versus Family Sponsored Immigrants Compare?               Regine King
                                                                                                                                   create your own dialogue circles                            Yoko Yoshida, Howard Ramos and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Why Do Chinese Canadians Have Lower Fertility?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    62
                                                                                                                                   Connect with students at UBC, U of Ottawa,                  Madine VanderPlaat
                                                                                                                                   Mount Saint Vincent and Universite de Moncton                                                                         Jing Zhao
                                                                                                                                                                                               Impediments to Belonging: Economic Precariousness
                                                                                                                                   WWW.CRRF-FCRR.CA
                                                                                                                                                                                               After the Live-in Caregiver Program                       Exploring the Processes of Identity Construction
                                                                                                                                                                                          30   Ethel Tungohan, Rupa Banerjee, Wayne Chu, Conely
                                                                                                                                                                                               De Leon, Mila Garcia, Philip Kelly, Marco Luciano,   66
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Among Chinese Immigrant Parents and Young
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Adults in Montreal
                                               2015-2016                                                                                                                                       Cynthia Palmaria and Christoper Sorio
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Lingwei Qian
                                               National Youth
                                               Video Challenge
                                                Ends June 30, 2016                                                                                     Canada
                                                                                                                                                       Lecture

                    Our Canada: Take action
                    Think! Collaborate! Produce!
                                                                                                                                                     REGIONAL PARTNERS
Broadening the conversation: policy and practice in immigration, settlement and diversity - Canadian Institute for Identities ...
Canadian Diversity is published by                                               Canadian Diversity is a quarterly publication of the
                                                                                 Association for Canadian Studies (ACS). It is distributed
Board of Directors:                                                              free of charge to individual and institutional members of
                                                                                 the ACS. Canadian Diversity is a bilingual publication. All

                                                                                                                                                    Introduction
Ayman Al-Yassini
Montreal, Quebec (Chair)
                                                                                 material prepared by the ACS is published in both French and
                                                                                 English. All other articles are published in the language in
Yolande Cohen                                                                    which they are written. Opinions expressed in articles are
Professor, History Department, Université du Québec a Montréal,                  those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions
Montréal, Québec                                                                                                                                    Dr. Laurie Carlson Berg, University of Regina and Dr. Fadila Boutouchent, University of Regina
                                                                                 of the ACS or sponsoring organizations. The Association for
Lloyd Wong                                                                       Canadian Studies is a voluntary non-profit organization. It
Professor, Sociology Department, University of Calgary                           seeks to expand and disseminate knowledge about Canada
Madeline Ziniak
                                                                                 through teaching, research and publications. The ACS is a
Chair, Canadian Ethnic Media Association, Toronto, Ontario                       scholarly society and a member of the Humanities and Social        The 17th National Metropolis Conference (Vancouver, March 2015) addressed many themes such as issues related to changes in
                                                                                 Science Federation of Canada.                                      policy and practice related to immigration in Canada. The previous federal government adopted many measures that are con-
Vivek Venkatesh                                                                                                                                     sidered restrictive in terms of immigration-related matters. For instance, positions and outreach services have been cut. Also,
Professor, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec
                                                                                                                                                    psychological support for torture, rape and abuse victims were cut from the interim refugee program and policies pertaining to
Celine Cooper                                                                                                                                       obtaining Canadian citizenship, family class immigration, foreign workers and refugees. These cuts raised many debates and
PhD Candidate, OISE/University of Toronto, Montreal, Quebec
                                                                                                                                                    questions.
Madine Vanderplaat
                                                                                 LETTers
Professor, Sociology Department, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, Nova Scotia                                                                      In July 2015, the Association for Canadian Studies called for submissions about these themes to broaden the discussions about
                                                                                 Comments on this edition of Canadian Diversity?                    the challenges and opportunities determining settlements and integration in Canada; identifying with, participating in and
Herbert Marx
                                                                                 We want to hear from you!
Montreal Quebec                                                                                                                                     belonging to both official language communities in Canada; and transculturality and establishing relations between newcomers
Jean Teillet                                                                     Canadian Diversity / ACS                                           and immigrants who have settled some time ago. Shortly after this call for submissions, the federal government held elections
Partner at Pape Salter Teillet LLP, Vancouver, British Columbia                  1822A, rue Sherbrooke Ouest                                        in 2015. In spite of a new government, these themes are still present in the media and public debates. These conversations and
                                                                                 Montréal, Québec H3H 1E4                                           speeches seem to lump together the Syrian crisis, the threat of Islamic extremism, Islam and the Muslim veil. Indeed, what some
                                                                                                                                                    people call the “veil debate” has become so crucial that it has either benefited or harmed the positions of the various political
                                                                                 Or e-mail us at                             parties. What do these debates reveal about the various opinions Canadians have about our pluralistic society? Some discourses
                                                                                                                                                    seem to normalize diversity, some refer to the “straw that broke the camel’s back”, and others encourage identification (different
                                                                                 Your letters may be edited for length and clarity.
                                                                                                                                                    identities?) and questioning the dominant discourse. This issue offers different perspectives. The authors encourage readers to
                                                                                                                                                    reconsider and rethink the impact of immigration practices and policies related to the development of respectful and mutual
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
                                                                                                                                                    relations crucial to integration, civic participation and cultivating a sense of belonging to Canada, especially with the recent
Jack Jedwab                                                                                                                                         experience of researchers from Western Canada. This issue of Canadian Diversity contains a selection of articles about the main
                                                                                                                                                    themes and articles of the 17th National Metropolis Conference (Vancouver 2015) and is likely to contribute to new discussions at
Guest Editors
Dr. Laurie Carlson Berg, University of Regina                                                                                                       the 18th National Metropolis Conference in Toronto in March 2016 and beyond.
Dr. Fadila Boutouchent, University of Regina
                                                                                                                                                    This issue of Canadian Diversity starts with an article that champions public access to procedures and policies that allow the
MANAGING EDITOR
Sarah Kooi                                                                                                                                          opening of a debate for an informed audience. Banting points out that changes made to the immigration policies throughout the
                                                                                                                                                    last decade were not very transparent. Banting criticizes this process of change and calls it governance by surprise because it
DESIGN & Layout
CAMILAHGO. studio créatif
                                                                                                                                                    tends to keep critics off-balance. According to the author, this process mainly undermined the predictability of all involved by
camilahgo@gmail.com                                                                                                                                 eroding trust in government and weakens accountability mechanism on which our conception of democracy rests. He believes it
                                                                                                                                                    is time to put an end to parliamentary debates about citizenship, refugees and security if not replace this divide-and-rule policy
                                                                                                                                                    with better integration opportunities.

                                                                                                                                                    In the second article, Jedwab questions whether annual and multi-annual planning consultations are really a matter of num-
                                                                                                                                                    bers. The author claims that there have been very few changes in annual immigration levels in the last few years. He took the
                                                                                                                                                    opportunity to analyse the general theoretical discussion and to imply the importance of investing in public literacy about
                                                                                                                                                    immigration. The article offers a new perspective on the data collected in Léger Marketing’s March 2015 poll commissioned by
                                                                                                                                                    the Association for Canadian Studies. The author believes it is important to augment literacy about immigration in anticipa-

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         5
Broadening the conversation: policy and practice in immigration, settlement and diversity - Canadian Institute for Identities ...
tion of more significant public debates in the future. Jedwab, just like Banting, believes that informing better Canadians about         official languages and culture. They also face professional and civic challenges. The author reflects on the necessity of creating
    immigration and its related issues may encourage a more rational public debates in which everybody wins, just as suggested by            inclusive spaces open to new forms of identity and to the juxtaposition of identities.
    Pettigrew’s scenario in the third article.
                                                                                                                                             In conclusion, this issue of Canadian Diversity/Diversité Canadienne offers an in-depth coverage of the topics discussed herein.
    In this article, Pettigrew describes a win-win situation in which potential employers can play a key role in the hiring, settling and    Not only does this issue contain diverse immigration-related topics, but also covers specific needs that need to be met in order
    integration of newcomers. This article offers an overview of a big Canadian employer’s successful experiment and identifies the          to better integrate Canadian values such as democracy, justice and equality. These articles present different points of view on
    policies put in effect for that purpose as well as organization’s profit. The author claims that employers who can offer language        migration backgrounds, if not, potential therapeutic landscapes that can be food for thought. These readings are ways to inform
    training at lunch time, a mentorship program, and help with housing not only support the integration of newcomers, but also              the general public and various social partners of policies, practices and the challenges of immigration in order to be better
    simultaneously ensure that loss of staff within their organization is minimal.                                                           equipped and be more open to immigration. This issue reiterates the call to create inclusive spaces that are open to diversity.

    In the fourth article, Heinone and King offer another example of substantial gain. Both authors describe how resorting to cultural
    activities, recreation, arts and crafts, and focusing on family needs allows the creation of therapeutic landscapes for refugees in
    their cold, new home, Winnipeg. It’s as if this article called on us, among other things, to think of customs and familiar habits
    through which immigrants and members of the host communities can create human, respectful and mutually beneficial bonds.

    On another note, other authors examine the contributions of newcomers as well as the economic challenges they face. If the fifth
    article, Yoshida, Ramos and Vanderplaat discuss the economic contribution of newcomers in Nova Scotia. Their study shows
    that some families contribute considerably, if not surpass the economic expectations of the province. Tungohan and her con-
    tributors address another economic facet. They explored, in the sixth article, the socio-economic vulnerability of Filipina immi-
    grants who have come via the live-in caregiver program. According to the authors, because these immigrants have no Canadian
    work experience, they must take costly and time-consuming upgrade classes that don’t guaranty a job. Furthermore, having to
    feed their families adds to the pressure that is already on them. The authors discuss some of the modifications made to the pro-
    gram since 2014 which have led to some abuse. In regards to challenges, in the next articles, Pettigrew, Ashton and Galatsanou
    took a closer look at serviced aimed at increasing the immigrant population in rural regions of Canada’s four Western provinces
    (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba). The authors noted a considerable increase of newcomers of various
    ethnocultural and immigration backgrounds in some small communities in which infrastructure and immigrant settlement
    services are not always available. The authors identify areas that can be potentially improved.

    In this very issue, there are also two articles that explore the social aspects of immigration. Bucklaschuk, Bhattacharyya, Wilkinson,
    Shen, Chowdhury and Edkins surveyed by telephone immigrants who landed in Canada between 2008 and 2012 to show that
    about two out of three immigrants did not access settlement services. Their results show a high percentage of immigrants that
    did not use service providers because their own networks could offer support. Their results also show a relatively high percentage
    of people who needed help from service providers, but did not seek them out as they were unaware that such services existed.
    The authors discuss the best ways to inform newcomers adequately. Also, Mata examines, more specifically, sociodemographic
    markers and features of the environments where immigrants choose to settle and their relationship with their neighbours. His
    study shows that immigrants generally do not interact with their neighbours even if they have been living in Canada for some
    time. The author suggests that programs that encourage immigrants to interact with their neighbours and that promotes a more
    participative citizenship, especially in negative areas, should be implemented. However, these interactions have already been
    linked to a sense of belonging to Canada, interaction with and participation in the host society.

    In the field of education, Lenoir, in the tenth article, presents the relationship between schools and immigrant families. Her
    study is a reminder that school and family interactions are less than ideal. Generally, this fact is perceived as evident as most
    families integrate discourse related to this type of collaboration. However, families’ involvement is minimal and is usually
    limited to parents following up on lessons at home. Her results suggest that there is room for dialogue and for improving
    collaboration between schools and families, an issue that has been talked about for decades.

    The last three articles explore the challenges of certain immigrant communities. First, King presents results of a qualitative study
    on Rwandan refugees in Toronto. Results show that social isolation in the host society, being a refugee and its painful legacy all
    contribute to withdrawal and a feeling of isolation. The author examines policies and practices related to the challenge of social
    isolation. This study is one of the few that examines the consequences of genocide. Jing Zhao explores the low fertility rate of
    Chinese-Canadian women. According to the author, having children, although a person choice, have significant social outcomes.
    The comparative study shows that in spite of Canada’s policies that favour fertility more than China’s policies, socio-economic
    considerations, situational differences caused by the slowness of immigration and the settlement process may be the source of
    Chinese women’s low fertility rates. Finally, Lingwei Qian explores the identity of two generations of Chinese-Canadians who
    have immigrated to Canada in the 1990s. The author notes that parents who are considered economic class immigrants are,
    as well as their children, are often highly educated. They face challenges related to the multiplicity of identities, knowledge of

6                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 7
model, governments face fewer constraints on the exercise of       consultations before being formally approved by cabinet.
                                                                                                                                        power. The critical line of accountability is to the legislature   The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in 2002 largely
                                                                                                                                        and to the electorate. The key to the democratic legitimacy of     followed this pattern.
                                                                                                                                        the model lies, not necessarily in the search for broad consen-
                                                                                                                                        sus, but in open, transparent government, consultation, and        This approach faded during the recent Conservative govern-
                                                                                                                                        vigorous public debate, to ensure voters are informed the next     ment. Interestingly, the shift began in the context of minority
                                                                                                                                        time they cast their ballot.                                       government. Traditionally, minority governments lean more
                                                                                                                                                                                                           towards consensus politics, with governments having to find
                                                                                                                                        The strengths and weaknesses of these two systems are              support for each piece of legislation from another party in
                                                                                                                                        the obverse of each other. Consensus democracy ensures a           the House. But that was not the route chosen. In 2008, the
                                                                                                                                        broader societal agreement on new initiatives. The down-           omnibus Budget Bill, packed with many different things and

    Beyond Government by Surprise:
                                                                                                                                        side is that the need for consensus can slow the process. In       passed through political brinkmanship, granted the Minister
                                                                                                                                        contrast, the majoritarian system facilitates action, allowing     the authority to fundamentally alter important immigration
                                                                                                                                        a government to act on the basis a narrower range of               programs by issuing “Ministerial Instructions” to immigra-

    Governance in the Immigration Sector
                                                                                                                                        public support. Critics of consensus democracy worry about         tion officers. Ministerial authority was broadened again
                                                                                                                                        the potential for paralysis. Critics of majoritarian systems       2012. In addition, avenues for public consultation narrowed.
                                                                                                                                        worry about the abuse of power and complain about elected          Consultations were by invitation only, held in private,
                                                                                                                                        dictatorship.                                                      narrowly defined and highly targeted. And parliamentary
                                                                                                                                                                                                           committees played a smaller role in shaping policy change,
                                                                                                                                        By its very nature, Canada has always been closer to the           limiting opportunities to public groups excluded from the
    Keith Banting is the Stauffer-Dunning Fellow in the School of Policy Studies at Queen’s University. His research focuses            majoritarian model. Most often, the electoral system delivers      private channels to advance their views.
    on the politics of social policy, including more recently the relationship between ethnic diversity, multiculturalism and social    a majority in Parliament without a majority of votes from
    solidarity. He is the author or editor of twenty books and numerous articles and book chapters, and his publications have been      the electorate. The former Conservative government and the         The scope of policy change carried out through ministerial
    translated into seven languages. Dr Banting is a member of the Order of Canada and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.         recently elected Liberal government both achieved majorities       instructions has been staggering. In the years after 2008,
                                                                                                                                        in the House of Commons with the support of less than 40% of       major portions of the immigration system, such as the eco-
                                                                                                                                        voters. Moreover, compared to many other democratic coun-          nomic stream and the family reunification stream were trans-
                                                                                                                                        tries, there are relatively few potent checks and balances. The    formed in major ways, changes that would have involved
    In recent years, immigration policy has been transformed through a governance process best described as government                  courts and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms clearly matter.      legislation in the past. For example, the Temporary Foreign
    by surprise. A bewildering flurry of decisions made in a closed, tightly controlled process remade immigration and                  At times, the federal-provincial interface has also represented    Workers program was re-made and re-made again through
    settlement programs with little opportunity for public consultation, parliamentary scrutiny or informed public                      a check on the exercise of power at both levels of govern-         ministerial instructions, going through cycles of major expan-
    debate. Government by surprise is highly effective at keeping critics off balance. But it also brings serious costs.                ment, a consensus mechanism in an otherwise majoritarian           sion and subsequent restriction, all without legislation. If ever
    It raises the level of uncertainty and lowers predictability for all involved; it can only erode trust in government;               polity. But intergovernmental compromises are important            there were a case study of what can go wrong with populist
    and it weakens the accountability mechanisms on which our conception of democracy rests. It’s time to retire                        only when governments want to advance policies that require        policy-making, this was it. Admittedly, when the program
    government by surprise.                                                                                                             the cooperation of the two levels. Absent such political drive,    became a hot political issue in 2012, the controversy was dif-
                                                                                                                                        intergovernmentalism does not kick into gear, as witnessed         fused very quickly through new ministerial instructions. But
                                                                                                                                        by its decline under the former Conservative government.           perhaps a more open and deliberative process would have
    The election of a new federal government presents an ideal         the exercise of untrammeled government power is a danger.                                                                           helped avoid the mistakes that made it such a hot issue in the
    time to reflect on governance in the immigration and settle-       In this model, democracy requires political institutions that    Given the limited institutional checks on political power, what    first place. More recently, the introduction of Express Entry
    ment sector. The policy process during the last ten years          limit the potential for abuse by creating checks and balances    qualifies our system of governance as passably democratic is       was completed by ministerial instruction. Over time, we have
    has raised troubling issues, and hopefully the lessons of the      and by bringing major economic and social interests into the     an open and transparent process, with a strong flow of infor-      seen a dramatic shift of the economic stream from the human
    recent past can become signposts for a different future. Such      process of policy development. In practice, surmounting the      mation to the public, opportunities for public input before        capital approach embedded in the 2002 legislation to a mixed
    an evaluation needs to set the immigration sector in the con-      checks and balances inherent in this model usually requires      decisions are made, and informed vigorous debate in the            model in which employers have a much larger role – all without
    text of the larger system of democratic governance in Canada,      compromise between political parties before new policies can     media, civil society, and Parliament. Without that, it becomes     the focused parliamentary and public debate that legislation
    and pay careful attention to mechanisms of accountability,         be implemented. The classic case is obviously the US, with its   harder to pretend this is really something we want to call         generates.
    the vibrancy of checks and balances, and the strength of           complex system of divided authority. But the German system,      democratic.
    linkages with stakeholders in the sector.                          for example, achieves similar constraints through a propor-                                                                         In the settlement sector, major changes also came through
                                                                       tional electoral system which leads to coalition governments     In some earlier periods, the immigration and settlement            administrative discretion. The surprise decision in 2012 to
    It is useful to start by briefly highlighting two different con-   which must compromise internally, plus two powerful cham-        sector did a reasonable job of meeting these expectations.         recentralize delivery of settlement services in Manitoba and
    ceptions of democratic governance, noting the strengths and        bers of the national parliament and the multi-level governance   Proposals for significant change were preceded by discussion       British Columbia was accomplished by ministerial decision
    weaknesses of each, and then using the two conceptions to          inherent in the EU.                                              papers setting out a new direction, public consultations gave      without advance consultation with the provincial govern-
    analyze the policy process in immigration and settlement sector                                                                     interested parties an opportunity to present their views, and      ments involved. The change came as a complete shock to the
    in recent years. I will call these two conceptions “consensus      The defining characteristic of majoritarian democracy is the     final decisions were enacted through legislation, with serious     settlement service organizations actually delivering the ser-
    democracy” and “majoritarian democracy”.                           concentration of political power in the hands of a government    parliamentary debate and committee hearings, and the media         vices on the ground in the two provinces. As Naomi Alboim
                                                                       which – in the prototypical case – is formed by one political    scrutiny which such debates trigger. In addition, regulations      and Karen Cohl wrote in 2012, sweeping changes “have been
    The defining assumption of consensus democracy is that             party holding a majority of seats in the legislature. In this    made pursuant to the legislation were often the subject of         realized through a tightly controlled political process without

8                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              9
allowing for real engagement and discourse” (Alboim and            Reference
     Kohl 2012). Clearly, their description has remained relevant
                                                                        Alboim, Naomi and Karen Cohl. 2012. “Shaping the future:
     since then.
                                                                        Canada’s rapidly changing immigration policies”, Toronto: Maytree Foundation.

     Government by surprise may keep critics off balance. But
     there are costs to this style of decision-making. First, it
     raises the level of uncertainty and lowers predictability for
     all involved. It does not provide a secure basis to plan if you
     are an applicant, a stakeholder group, or a provincial govern-
     ment. Second, such a closed and unpredictable process can
     only erode trust in government. Much has been written by

                                                                                                                                                        Pick a Number: The Value of Annual Consultations
     Robert Putnam and others about the problems of sustaining
     interpersonal trust in our increasingly diverse societies. But
     more recent analyses have emphasized the importance of

                                                                                                                                                        on Immigration Levels
     trust in government as a key to managing the strains that
     diversity brings. Countries with high levels of public trust in
     government are less prone to the decline in social cohesion
     and solidarity that many worry about. Government by sur-
     prise, unpredictable government, government that does not
     honour commitments by phasing in changes, cannot be good
     for trust in government. Just ask international graduate stu-                                                                                      Jack Jedwab is currently President of the Association for Canadian Studies (ACS) and the Canadian Institute for Identities and
     dents who watched the Canadian Experience Class folded                                                                                             Migration. He has led the ACS since 1998. He previously served as Executive Director of the Quebec branch of the Canadian Jewish
     into the Express Entry pool without much notice.                                                                                                   Congress (1994-1998). He holds a PhD in Canadian History from Concordia University. Between 1983 and 2008, he lectured
                                                                                                                                                        at McGill University in the departments of sociology, political science and at the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada. He
     Third, and most importantly, government by surprise erodes                                                                                         also taught in the history department at Universitié du Quebec a Montreal. He is currently the Chair of the National Metropolis
     the vibrancy of democracy. The majoritarian model is a legi-                                                                                       Conference on Immigration and Integration and is founding editor of the publication Canadian Diversity, He is a frequent
     timate conception of democratic government. And there is                                                                                           contributor to the opinion pages of the Montreal Gazette and commentator in several national media
     nothing new in diagnoses of the centralization of power in
     Canadian government; such assessments have been a con-
     sistent refrain throughout my entire professional career. But
     what gives concentrated power its legitimacy, the minimum                                                                                          The annual or multi-year planning consultations on levels of immigration have been regarded as an essential
     condition that qualifies this model as a democratic form of                                                                                        conversation in determining the numbers of immigrants coming to the country. Since there has been very little
     governance, is open and informed public debate in civil society,                                                                                   change in the annual level of immigration over the past two decades the author questions whether the object
     in the media, in the people’s House, in its committees. Such                                                                                       of the exercise is indeed about numbers. He also points out that in the absence of any shift in the numbers the
     vigorous informed debate is crippled by government in the                                                                                          evidence occasionally offered by analysts about the impact about any such modification is generally reduced to a
     shadows.                                                                                                                                           theoretical discussion. Finally given the relatively low level of public knowledge about numbers of immigrants the
                                                                                                                                                        author recommends a greater investment in augmenting public literacy about immigration.
     One might argue that the federal government faced unpre-
     cedented problems in the Federal Skilled Workers program,
     that decisive action was needed, and that the process can
     revert back to a more traditional pattern in the future. But                                                                                       From the beginning of the twentieth century to the present        The annual level of immigration is described as one of the
     power is addictive. The danger is that public servants will                                                                                        day, the growth of Canada’s population through immigration        most critical components of a country’s immigration policy.
     become accustomed to this way of doing business; and the                                                                                           has contributed immensely to its emergence as a country           Whether the actual level of immigration is appropriate for
     new Liberal governments might also find government by                                                                                              respected for its economic, social and cultural achievements.     the Canadian economy and society is the object of ongoing
     ministerial instruction and its equivalents to be convenient.                                                                                      Indeed Canada is often described as a nation of immigrants        debate. But it has largely been a discussion between experts as
     After all, parliamentary processes are so messy, so time-                                                                                          as the one in five foreign-born Canadians represents the 2nd      the broader public has not been especially engaged in debate
     consuming, so unpredictable.                                                                                                                       highest such ratio in world after Australia. Canada’s popula-     about immigration numbers. Since there has been very little
                                                                                                                                                        tion growth is based on natural increase and net international    change in the annual level of immigration over the past two
     We seem to manage it elsewhere. Witness the legislation and                                                                                        migration (provincial and territorial population estimates also   decades it’s difficult to determine with any certainty whether
     intense parliamentary debates about citizenship, refugees,                                                                                         factor in interprovincial migration). As an example, in the       the numbers have any meaningful impact on the economy.
     and security. Parliament should not be reduced to a platform                                                                                       second quarter of 2015 natural increase was 33,000 almost         Hence, since the 1990’s it is not possible to surmise in prac-
     for wedge politics. It’s time for a higher quality of democratic                                                                                   half the total of 64, 000 for international migration. Barring    tice the economic impact of changes to the annual numbers
     governance throughout the immigration and settlement                                                                                               an unlikely baby boom immigration will soon account for the       of immigrants. Therefore it’s only in theory that observations
     sector as a whole. It’s time to retire government by surprise.                                                                                     country’s entire population growth.                               can be made about what a change in levels might mean. There
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          have been several studies that have examined the economic
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          performance of newcomers over selected periods after time of

10                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          11
arrival. Such studies are certainly important but they can’t tell   the immigrant selection process by revising the skilled immi-               across all regions;                                          many things but when it comes to migration flows, there are
     us about the outcome of the change in levels.                       grant point system to better attract younger immigrants with                                                                             indeed several imponderables.
                                                                         higher levels of language fluency. While immigration policy                 • reuniting families;
     It’s also worth noting that over the past decades while             addresses family reunification as well as humanitarian con-                                                                              For example, as officials observe when permanent resident
     governments have not reduced immigration levels, there              siderations, the economic focus is prevalent with over 60                   • fulfilling Canada’s international legal obligations        visas are extended, it cannot control exactly when, or even if,
     actually has been a reduction in the share that the annual          percent admitted to the country under an economic category.                 with respect to refugees, and to assisting those in need     a person uses that visa to come to Canada. Given this, specific
     intake represents within the overall Canadian population.                                                                                       of resettlement; and                                         targets for each class of immigrant need to be established so
     In 1992, Canada’s intake was 30,000 short of one per cent of        Over the past two decades adjustments have been made to                                                                                  as to include the number of applications that must be pro-
     the population (a historic target for Liberal governments). To      match market needs with the skill set of immigrants admitted                • protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians.   cessed to ensure admissions fall within the planning range.
     attain the one percent figure today, the Government would           to the country via the economic categories but that has not                                                                              There is also a need to take into account the varying labor
     have to admit about 350 000 people and is thereby between           resulted in meaningful modification of numbers (with the             When referring to levels, CIC asks three questions: 1) what is      needs across provinces and territories, rural and urban areas,
     80 000 and 100 000 persons short of the target.                     exception of the substantial increases in the entry of temporary     the right level of immigration to Canada? 2) how should this        and sectors of the economy. For this reason, the Government
                                                                         foreign workers). Immigration levels averaged 220,000 per            overall level be divided among the three main permanent             of Canada must work with the provinces and territories (not
     It is contended here that the annual consultations on levels        year in the 1990s and just over 240 000 over the first decade of     resident classes: economic, family, and refugee/humanitar-          to mention the cities) to properly manage the immigration
     of immigration are somewhat of a misnomer and need to be            the 21st century. Going back to 1992, Canada welcomed about          ian? (which it refers to as the “mix.”). And 3) what role can       program.
     re-described and/or reinvented so it is less centered on num-       the same number.                                                     immigration play to support Canada’s economy?
     bers and more about resources aimed at improving settlement.                                                                                                                                                 Provinces have been setting out there specific economic,
     This has become an important element in such consultations          It’s true that some analysts insist that immigrant numbers           The levels plan must also balance such things as:                   social and labour market needs. And in the case of Quebec there
     but it needs to be made more explicit. It’s also contended that     should be reduced when the economy is uncertain, since it                                                                                is an agreement in place (the Canada-Quebec Accord-(1991)
     there is real need to augment what might be described as            is more difficult for immigrants to find work in Canada and                 • the Government of Canada’s current priorities and          that gives the province power to set its own admission targets
     immigration literacy amongst Canadians as there is evidence         they are less able to establish themselves economically and                 commitments;                                                 (though humanitarian considerations fall outside their pur-
     to suggest that knowledge about the issues of settlement and        socially. They point out that there are limits to the number of                                                                          view). The province also manages its own economic immi-
     selection are insufficient. The consequence of inadequate           immigrants that can be successfully integrated and the ability              • the extent that our economy and communities can            gration programs. The government of Quebec also holds its
     public knowledge is conversations around immigration that           of public services to meet the expansion of population.                     integrate newcomers;                                         own annual or multi-year immigration levels consultation
     are not always based on sound information.                                                                                                                                                                   and indeed has used this forum to justify recent increases in
                                                                         In sum therefore while much of the national conversation                    • current and future economic conditions, as well as         numbers. In the years ahead there will be a unique opportunity
     Is there really a debate about the numbers of immigrants that       over immigration has touched on whether Canada should                       labour market needs;                                         to test the increase in immigrant numbers on economic and
     should be admitted to Canada?                                       target higher numbers those recommending increases have                                                                                  social changes.
                                                                         seen their proposition fall relatively flat for the better part of   A growing consideration in planning levels is security issues
     Most economists agree that Canada needs to welcome more             the last quarter century. It is legitimate to ask whether in fact    as adequate consideration needs to be given to whether CIC          In short the very idea of establishing a global admission
     skilled immigrants. What is referred to as a debate is about        the government consultation about levels has been little more        and its security partners (the RCMP, CBSA and the Canadian          number on an annual basis seems a complex task with
     how many immigrants Canada should admit. The Royal Bank,            than an exercise in public relations as regards the annual           Security and Intelligence Service) have the financial resources     several potential obstacles to effecting change. But it raises
     the Ontario Coalition of Agencies Serving Immigrants, the           quantity of newcomers to be received.                                to process applications for effective program delivery.             the question of what such consultations are really about and
     Conference Board of Canada and the Canada West Foundation                                                                                                                                                    if in effect there are more about justifying existing numbers
     have called for immigration to proximate the 1% target. But                                                                              In theory as mentioned by officials at CIC, the department          rather than moving them on to some other “level”.
     there is a gap between such their respective recommendations                                                                             could process as many applications as possible and then
     and their application.                                              The Challenge of Change:                                             report on the outcome at the end of the year. If it undertakes
                                                                                                                                              the planning exercise it does so because it is required under
     A May 2012 Globe and Mail essay suggested that Canada
                                                                         Obstacles to Adjusting Immigrant Numbers                             Canada’s immigration law. But officials add that the planning       If it’s not about levels what is the annual Consultation really
     needed a “flood of immigrants”. It contended that over the                                                                               exercise is needed to “run a system as big and complex as           addressing?
     next decade a million jobs risked going unfilled. With popula-      In his 1981 annual report the auditor general called for the         immigration…to allocate resources across a vast processing
     tion aging, immigration would likely become the sole source         Minister of Immigration to better justify their reasons for          network in Canada and around the globe…to help settle and           One of the key dimensions of the national conversation over
     of workplace growth. The Globe added that the ratio of working      announcing a particular figure or range each year. Since             integrate newcomers [they] must know what kind of volumes           immigration numbers that gets considerable public attention
     age Canadians to seniors was narrowing and the inevitable           then Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has typically          to expect.                                                          is the issue of integration. The CIC planning process raises the
     outcome would be a shrunken tax base and acute labour               asked for public feedback on immigration to Canada and                                                                                   issue of how well society can integrate newcomers. It suggests
     shortages. While immigration was not the only way to meet           specifically on levels of immigration. National immigration          The levels plan is further justified as a matter of public          that it depends on several factors which include:
     this challenge it could diminish the problem.                       planners consult with the provinces and groups and agen-             policy as the Government of Canada must balance the costs
                                                                         cies from the voluntary and private sectors as well as a small       and benefits of maintaining public confidence in the coun-                 • policies, programs and services that support
     Some economists have legitimately urged caution.                    group of academics that have an interest in the composition          try’s immigration program. Planning the level and the mix is               immigrant integration;
     Christopher Worswick has argued that “…in determining               of the immigrant flow to Canada.                                     described as the best tool to manage the immigration system
     whether, or how, to raise immigration levels it is vital to con-                                                                         for Canada’s benefit. Undoubtedly, as CIC officials point out,             • labour market conditions that let them take part in
     sider average labour market outcomes of newly arrived immi-         Canada’s immigration legislation puts forth the country’s            maintaining public confidence is a key goal of the planning                the Canadian economy; and
     grants – outcomes that in recent years have been poor when          major goals as follows:                                              exercise.
     compared to those of the Canadian born.”                                                                                                                                                                            • how willingly the newcomer and the local community
                                                                                • developing a strong and prosperous Canadian eco-            CIC correctly notes that there is a degree of uncertainty in               take part in the integration process.
     The solution that most observers have proposed is to improve               nomy, in which the benefits of immigration are shared         planning immigration levels. CIC can plan for and control

12                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   13
In the criteria established by CIC in the determination of                                          confidence in the immigration system is essential.               Table 2: In total, approximately how many immigrants do you think Canada allows into the country each year?
     annual levels there is no explicit reference to social or cul-
     tural concerns or more specifically the extent to which                                                                                                                                                            TOTAL               Atlantic                 QC                 ON        MB/SK           AB             BC
     newcomers are seen as adapting to societal values (how-
     ever defined) and/or whether intergroup harmony would be                                            The “level” of Public Immigration Literacy in Canada              Fewer than 10,000                               12%                  18%                   11%               12%         13%           10%            11%
     upset by augmenting numbers of immigrants. If such explicit
     references are less apparent in the annual consultation pro-                                        How much importance should the state attach to public opinion     10,000 to 24,999                                12%                  13%                 12%                 10%         20%           12%            11%
     cess they occupy a rather important place in the political                                          when it comes to the annual levels of immigrants? Ideally if
     arena and in the national media discussion and discourse                                            public opinion were to be regarded as a key element in the        25,000 to 49,999                                5%                   6%                   7%                 3%          4%             6%            3%
     around immigration. There is much talk about immigrants                                             conversation over levels of immigrants it should be based on a
     adapting to Canadian values, the need to maintain social                                            proper knowledge of the numbers of immigrants. In the ideal
                                                                                                                                                                           50,000 to 99,999                                8%                   10%                 12%                 6%          8%             8%            4%
     cohesion (however defined) and the more recent variant on                                           situation one might also hope for a good number of people
     this idea, the equally vague notion of living together (pro-                                        informed about the impact of immigration on the economic
                                                                                                                                                                           100,000 to 149,999                              10%                  8%                   9%                 11%         7%            14%           10%
     ponents of this concept that they are examining “the living                                         and social condition (keeping in mind it’s too much to ask for
     together” as opposed to “living together”).                                                         everyone to be an economist).
                                                                                                                                                                           150,000 to 299,999                              11%                  5%                   9%                 13%         7%             9%            12%
     Since there has been very little change in annual level of                                          CIC has demonstrated some interest in the degree of literacy
     immigration over the past two decades it’s difficult to deter-                                      amongst the population when it comes to immigration. The          300,000 or more                                 9%                   6%                   7%                 10%         9%            12%            11%
     mine with certainty whether the numbers of immigrants has                                           government commissions annual tracking surveys that often
     any meaningful impact on intergroup tension or harmony.                                             focus on public awareness of the numbers of immigrants Canada     Don't know/Refused                              34%                 33%                  32%                 35%         33%           31%           39%
     Yet this hasn’t prevented much of the broader public debate                                         receives and the perception around whether immigration
     to be framed in such terms and therefore something the                                              generates economic benefits. On the question of numbers
     levels planners can ignore since the country’s decision-makers                                      as observed below the CIC commissioned 2015 tracking sur-
     contribute to the discussion being framed this way. Elected                                         vey of 3028 Canadians saw a narrow majority agree that the       The underlying question behind the public perception of                                           numbers there is a ten point increase in the share that thinks
     officials can’t ignore public opinion when it comes to issues                                       annual number is just about right. However some one in four      levels is how many immigrants are too many? When the CIC                                          that there are too many newcomers with some 37% in agreement.
     of immigration as CIC officials note that maintaining public                                        Canadians believes that there are too many immigrants.           commissioned survey presents Canadians with the actual

                                                                                                                                                                          Table 3: In total, approximately how many immigrants do you think Canada allows into the country each year?

     Table 1: In your opinion, do you feel there are too many, too few, or about the right number of immigrants coming to Canada?                                                                    In your opinion, do you feel there are too                          In fact, in the last few years approximately 250,000 new
                                                                                                                                                                                                     many, too few, or about the right number                            immigrants came to Canada each year. Knowing this,
                                                                                                                                                                                                     of immigrants coming to Canada?                                     do you feel there are too many immigrants, too few…
                                                 TOTAL                 Atlantic                 QC                    ON            MB/SK      AB               BC
                                                                                                                                                                           Too many                                                26%                                                                   37%
      Total number                                 3,028                  216                    726                  1,161          196       322              407
                                                                                                                                                                           Too few                                                  12%                                                                   11%
      Too many                                      26%                   22%                   21%                   30%            31%       30%              24%
                                                                                                                                                                           About the
      Too few                                       12%                   22%                    9%                   13%            9%        12%              14%                                                                52%                                                                   47%
                                                                                                                                                                           right number

      About the right number                        52%                   46%                   62%                   49%            52%       48%              50%        Don't know                                               8%                                                                    4%

      Don't Know                                     8%                   10%                    7%                    8%            7%         9%              10%        Refuse                                                   1%                                                                    1%

      Refuse                                         1%                    0%                    0%                    0%            1%         2%              2%

                                                                                                                                                                          If most Canadians are unfamiliar with the numbers there is                                        temporary workers are not the public’s priority when it comes
                                                                                                                                                                          also no consensus around which categories of immigrants                                           to facilitating entry. Nor do refugees rank especially high in
     Underlying the question of whether there are believed to be                                         five think that the country takes in over 150 000 and some       that should be the priority as regards entry into the country.                                    this regard. Again public education could have a potentially
     too many or too few immigrants is how many the country                                              in three say they don’t know. In short the vast majority of      A March 2015 Leger survey for the Association for Canadian                                        important impact on public perceptions so as to help explain
     receives in a given year? Canadians are at the very least some-                                     Canadians seem unaware that the country receives about           Studies found that the largest plurality of respondents favors                                    how and why government makes certain decisions around
     what unsure about this. Some 47% believe that the country                                           250 000 immigrants per year.                                     facilitating entry for skilled workers. Although they have                                        immigrant admission.
     takes in less than 150 000 immigrants annually. Only one in                                                                                                          seen substantial growth in numbers over the past five years

14                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           15
Table 4: Rank the following groups of migrants for which Canada needs to facilitate entry in the country from 1 (the group that Canada should facilitate the most)                Table 6: In your opinion, do you feel there are too many, too few, or about the right number of immigrants coming to Canada?
     to 5 (the group that Canada should facilitate the least)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Too many        Too few   About the right number
                                                         TOTAL               Atlantic                QC                   ON               MB/SK                   AB           BC
                                                                                                                                                                                        Religious/Cultural groups such as Jews, Muslims and Sikhs should
      Skilled workers for                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 45.9%        22.1%             23.7%
                                                            32%                 35%                   26%                 34%                 33%                  39%          30%     abandon their customs and traditions and become more like others
      permanent settlement
                                                                                                                                                                                        There is an irreconcilable conflict between Western societies and
      Reuniting family members                              24%                 22%                  24%                  22%                 24%                  27%          31%                                                                                                                       68.3%        44.3%            48.3%
                                                                                                                                                                                        Islamic text and practices in the world
      Investors and entrepreneurs
                                                            23%                  19%                 29%                  23%                 24%                  21%          20%
      for permanent settlement
      Refugee claimants                                     15%                  10%                 15%                  16%                 14%                  11%          14%    Conclusion                                                                                         social conditions in Canada. As Canada approaches its 150th
      Temporary workers                                      6%                  12%                  7%                  6%                   5%                   3%          5%                                                                                                        anniversary a meaningful public debate about levels of immi-
                                                                                                                                                                                       Aside from the legislative requirement to do so, there are sound                                   gration would be a welcoming part of any visioning exercise
                                                                                                                                                                                       reasons to hold annual consultations about immigration. The                                        that looks at the country’s future. Doing this would ideally
                                                                                                                                                                                       focus on numbers however gives rise to the idea that there                                         entail greater public knowledge about immigration something
     What underlies the view amongst those who feel that there                                          those Canadians that feel that there are too many immigrants                   might be series modifications to levels based on input from                                        in which a greater investment needs to be made. The annual
                                                                                                        coming to the country. Many also cite cultural integration as                  those bodies engaged in the process. That the levels have shifted                                  consultations on levels of immigration which could benefit
     are too many immigrants to Canada?                                                                 a factor when asked to identity reasons why they feel there                    very little over the past twenty –five years suggests that the                                     lifting the reference to levels could serve that purpose to a
                                                                                                        are too many newcomers. That’s the main reason evoked by                       consultations are much less about actual numbers. By conse-                                        much greater extent than is currently the case.
     The March 2015 ACS-Leger survey commissioned by the                                                the largest plurality of respondents in Quebec and to a lesser                 quence it is difficult to make more than theoretical observa-
     Association for Canadian Studies it is observed that it is                                         degree in Alberta.                                                             tions about the impact of changing numbers on economic and
     access to jobs that is regarded as a key concern expressed by

     Table 5: Reasons given by Canadians that feel there are too many immigrants coming to Canada as to why that’s the case

                                                                                          TOTAL             Atlantic            QC            ON          MB/SK           AB     BC
      Limited access to jobs / employment                                                   20%                23%               9%           25%            23%          16%    18%
      No effort in integrating within Canadian values /
                                                                                            13%                 1%              23%           10%             5%          18%    13%
      customs
      Immigration quotas / laws / regulations are too
                                                                                             12%               15%              16%           10%            12%          4%     18%
      lenient
      Unreasonable demands for accommodations                                                9%                 8%              13%            9%             3%          7%      7%
      Increase in reverse discrimination / affirmative
                                                                                             8%                 6%               2%           10%            18%          10%    5%
      action (i.e. taking our jobs)
      Immigrants come to take advantage of Canadian
                                                                                             7%                 3%               5%            8%             3%          11%    5%
      rights, freedoms & social safety net
      Over-saturation of social service network
                                                                                             6%                 4%               4%            8%             7%          8%     6%
      (i.e. welfare, food banks, etc.)
      Canadian-born citizens are becoming a
                                                                                             6%                 7%               4%            7%            14%          4%     5%
      disadvantaged underclass
      Safety threat / Circumvention of federal
                                                                                             4%                 4%               6%            3%             5%          7%      2%
      and provincial laws

     The cultural concerns amongst the segment of the popula-                                           and Sikhs should abandon their customs and traditions and
     tion that feels there are too many immigrants are further con-                                     become more like others and that “there is an irreconcilable
     firmed when looking at how Canadians with varying views on                                         conflict between Western societies and Islamic text and prac-
     levels respond to selected questions about assimilation and                                        tices in the world.” Those concerns are also apparent to a lesser-
     intergroup conflict. As observed below those Canadians that                                        though not insignificant-degree amongst Canadians that are
     believe there are too many immigrants are far more inclined                                        comfortable with the levels of immigration (independent of
     to agree that “religious/Cultural groups such as Jews, Muslims                                     whether they know the actual number).

16                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        17
costs and benefits of these programs from both the employer       the experiences of one organization that has developed
                                                                                                                                               and newcomer perspective.                                         exemplary policies in supporting newcomer employees. A
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 large multi-national manufacturing organization was inter-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 viewed in February of 2015. This organization, located in the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Canadian prairies, employs roughly 1,800 employees in more
                                                                                                                                               LITERATURE REVIEW                                                 than 20 locations and estimates their annual sales at $200
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 billion dollars.
                                                                                                                                               Though the research exploring the bidirectional benefits

     A Win-Win Scenario:
                                                                                                                                               of organizational newcomer-supportive policies is limited
                                                                                                                                               (Guo & Ariss, 2015), it is clear that both newcomers and          Organizational history of newcomer employment
                                                                                                                                               employees benefit from such programs (van der Heijden et

     An Employer Case Study of the Bidirectional
                                                                                                                                               al., 2009; Harvey, 2012; Wang et al., 2005). Starting at the      This organization has been employing newcomers, mainly
                                                                                                                                               recruitment phase, there is evidence that proficiency with        TFW, for over ten years. The organization began foreign
                                                                                                                                               host-country language facilitates settlement and integration      recruitment out of necessity and was precipitated by an

     Benefits of Newcomer-Supportive Policies
                                                                                                                                               (Ashton, Pettigrew, & Galastanou, 2015; Wang et al. 2005),        extreme shortage of skilled trades in Canada. This organiza-
                                                                                                                                               which reduces onboarding costs. During the recruitment            tion recruits solely skilled trades, such as fitters, machinists,
                                                                                                                                               process employers highlight the benefits of working for their     welders, and fabricators. Over the last ten years, the organi-
                                                                                                                                               organization, coming to Canada, and potentially provide           zation has recruited over 300 TFWs and currently employs
                                                                                                                                               incentives. Research suggests, at the very least, employers       60 to 70 TFWs. Impressively, 99 percent of all TFWs recruited
                                                                                                                                               need to follow through on pre-arrival promises to maintain        became permanent Canadian residents and are still employed
     Rachael Noelle Pettigrew, PhD, lives in Calgary, Alberta. After 12 years at University of Manitoba, Rachael now teaches                   the satisfaction of their employees (Harvey, 2012).               by the organization. The few TFWs who returned to their
     at the Bissett School of Business at Mount Royal University. Her research follows two streams. First, she is actively engaged                                                                               country of origin did so because they or their spouses were
     in research relating broadly to the work-life interface, but with specific interest in organizational culture, gender, and family-        Research shows that an increase in employee support               unable to get permanent residence due to personal history or
     supportive policies. Second, Rachael’s secondary research stream focuses on workplace diversity, with a focus on immigration,             decreases the turnover intentions of employees (van der           health reasons.
     the Canadian newcomer experience, and the role of the employer in newcomer settlement.                                                    Heijden et al., 2009), which can mitigate the significant costs
                                                                                                                                               of turnover for the employer. In addition, Wang and col-          Initially, the organization recruited from Ukraine and
                                                                                                                                               leagues (2005) found that newcomers’ adjustment to work and       Ireland, but in recent years recruitment has been almost
                                                                                                                                               the organization was linked to coworker support and included      entirely from the Philippines. Interestingly, the organiza-
     Employers can play a key role in the employment, settlement, and integration of newcomers. Potential supple-                              both fellow newcomer and Canadian- born coworkers.                tion finds recruitment often occurs via a snowball effect. For
     mental policies and supports, such as lunchtime EAL training, mentor programs, and housing assistance, can                                In contrast, newcomers’ work satisfaction was linked only         example, they recruit an employee from a specific town in the
     help support newcomer employees. However, before employers invest in such programs they need reassurance                                  to the support of management (Wang et al., 2005). These           Philippines and then in subsequent recruitment waves recruit
     that doing so will have a positive impact on their bottom line. Little research has been conducted to assess the                          findings indicate that although coworkers can help new-           this employee’s family members or friends. These family
     potential benefits to both employers and newcomer employees for offering supplemental newcomer supportive                                 comers understand their jobs; it is managerial support that       members enter the recruitment process with a strong under-
     policies. This paper reviews the success story of one large Canadian employer by describing the policies offered                          helps them like their jobs, which is linked directly to reten-    standing of what to expect from the organization and Canada,
     and the organizational rewards of doing so.                                                                                               tion. Finally, employers must acknowledge that employees          but also benefit from social support upon arrival.
                                                                                                                                               are also members of families. The successful settlement of
                                                                                                                                               newcomer employees is reliant on the successful adjustment
                                                                                                                                               and acclimation of the employees’ families as well (Wang et       Strategic Newcomer Recruitment
     In today’s economy, businesses have to look farther than their        national immigration will become more common as the popu-           al., 2005). Therefore, whenever possible organizations should
     own backyards to fill vacancies within their organizations.           lation ages. For example, the Immigrant Employment Council          support family reunification and extend integration supports      The organization uses a strategic and hands on approach to
     The highly competitive international hunt for key talent and          of British Columbia (BC) has projected by 2020 there will be        to both employees and their families.                             international recruitment. Instead of employing a consultant
     scarce skills is referred to as the war for talent (Pollack, 2012).   one million job vacancies in BC and “international migration                                                                          or intermediary, they have a human resources (HR) pro-
     Demographic factors such as the declining domestic birth-             will contribute the large majority of BC’s net labour force sup-    As mentioned earlier, research in this area is limited and has    fessional on staff who focuses exclusively on international
     rates, the aging population, and retiring baby boomers con-           ply” (Pollack, 2012, p. 2). Across Canada, there will be a large    been primarily focused on identifying the challenges new-         recruitment and support of TFWs. This HR professional and
     tribute to the scarcity of workers and key trades. As a result,       increase in the arrival and employment of newcomers. How-           comers face, rather than identifying and proposing organi-        managers personally travel to the Philippines to conduct
     nations and individual organizations have two options to              ever, there is a concern that these newcomers will be viewed        zational solutions or strategies for better supporting their      interviews and assess potential employees’ language skills,
     maintain national economic growth and competitive advan-              as an economic commodity and not properly supported.                newcomer employees (Gui & Ariss, 2015). This research aims        adaptability, and desire for long-term commitment, which
     tage. First, they can build the capacity of their own citizens        Ideally, recruitment is just the first step and is followed by an   to identify best practices in newcomer support, by reviewing      are all important to successful recruitment (Guo & Ariss, 2015;
     to meet demand (Deloitte, 2012). This is a long-term solu-            investment in newcomer integration into both the organiza-          the experiences of one organization that has been extremely       McNulty et al., 2009). By personally interviewing potential
     tion, since skills needed by 2020 should be in development            tion and community. It is essential that employers bringing         successful in doing so.                                           employees managers customize recruitment and can match
     now. The second and more immediate option is to facilitate            newcomers to Canada take a leadership role in the integra-                                                                            specific employees with certain managers, roles, or branches
     the recruitment of skilled workers from around the world              tion of their employees. Post-arrival support from employers                                                                          of the organization. On the last trip the organization con-
     (i.e., temporary foreign workers (TFW), provincial nominees)          is crucial (Pollack, 2012), however, the business case for pro-                                                                       ducted 250 interviews and hired 70 people. This proactive
     (Deloitte, 2012).                                                     viding supplemental programs has not been made. Therefore,          CASE STUDY                                                        and personal approach to recruitment increases likelihood of
                                                                           this paper explores one organization that offers supplemental                                                                         fit for both the organization and employee, can help shape
     In Canada, the recruitment of foreign workers and inter-              policies to support newcomer employees and reviews the              This research utilized the case study method by exploring         employees’ expectations, and can prevent underemployment

18                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   19
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