Contrary to recent narratives blaming immigrants for economic challenges, the reality in Canada is complex. It should also be noted that these concerns are not new. An article from 2017, at least 2 Liberal immigration ministers ago, could have been from this year:
He [Gilles Paquet, an author and economics professor emeritus at the University of Ottawa} believes an immigration intake of 300,000 or more is "mindless," arguing that Canada does not have the capacity to adequately help them transition with services and supports.
...
The result, he says, is growing frustration, marginalization and a number of cultural "enclaves" across the country that will lead to increased public tensions and problems down the road.
...
Increased immigration levels are putting too much pressure on the demand for housing, road space and recreational facilities, where demand has outpaced supply in some cities like Vancouver.
It's especially easy to blame temporary residents like international students and temporary foreign workers.
As I've written previously, international students went from heroes to zeros in fairly short order.
There is a legitimate debate to be had on the relatively recent uptick in immigration intake and impact on housing and social services. International students are screened to ensure that they have adequate finances for their time in Canada. They shouldn't have to rely on food banks (and it's not right that Canadians are needing food banks more and more either).
And something is not working if some Ukrainian immigrants are leaving this country due to high costs and underemployment:
Canada has long been a choice destination for newcomers seeking a better life in a prosperous nation. Nearly a quarter of all Canadians are immigrants and the country has welcomed nearly 200,000 Ukrainians since the war’s outset. But the daily grind of life in Canada’s busiest metropolises — not just Toronto but also Vancouver, Montreal and Calgary — along with soaring costs is making it increasingly hard to get by.
But a tight housing market that also impacts immigrants and refugees has been a reality for many years. An article from 2014 notes the "unprecedented" housing challenges that refugees faced at that time:
Refugees arriving in Edmonton are facing "unprecedented" challenges finding affordable places to rent, says an agency that works with newcomers.
"People are paying regularly 50 to 85 and sometimes even up to 90 per cent of their income going towards rent," said Kathryn Friesen, program manager with Catholic Social Services.
A recent Financial Post article argues that high immigration levels do add to demand, impacting specifically the housing market [but that too in certain municipalities and areas like the GTA], but overall, they also have a deflationary effect. Immigration significantly eases labor market pressures, an aspect often overlooked. While it poses challenges like straining settlement services and housing, its role in mitigating inflation is notable.
Economic tensions from immigration necessitate sound government policy. Intake is only one side of the equation; the other is integration. Both must go hand in hand. The government has now (just now) indicated that addressing housing shortages as a priority. It's hard to square that concern with the reality that "immigration policy is also housing policy" from a 2017 article:
There is no doubt Canada’s high immigration rates have a major impact on housing affordability in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, according to a new study.
“First and foremost, immigration policy is, essentially, also a form of housing policy,” University of B.C. geographer Daniel Hiebert says in a comprehensive paper published in the winter edition of the Canadian Journal of Urban Research.
Better late than never I guess, but effective measures will need investment and coordination between multiple levels of government. It is imperative that steps are taken given the decline in public support for high levels of immigration over the past few months. Canadians' concerns about affordability and housing are now intertwined with the influx of newcomers. A recent survey by the Environics Institute for Survey Research in collaboration with the Century Initiative reveals that 44% of Canadians believe immigration levels are excessive, marking a rise from 27% just a year prior. Notably, this shift in public sentiment is the most significant Environics has witnessed in over four decades of polling on the subject. Just a year ago, the Canadian public was overwhelmingly in favor of immigration.
Canada's population grew by more than 430,000 during the third quarter, marking the fastest pace of population growth in any quarter since 1957.
Statistics Canada released its Oct. 1 population estimates on Tuesday, putting the number at more than 40.5 million.
The agency says the population growth over the first nine months of 2023 has already surpassed the total growth in any other full year, including the record set in 2022.
...
Polling suggests Canadians are quite concerned about the impact immigration is having on infrastructure and services in the country.
In a Leger poll last month, about three-quarters of respondents agreed the increase in immigrants is adding strain to both the housing market and health-care system.
Compared to March 2022, the percentage of Canadians who said they want the country to welcome more immigrants than it has in the past had fallen from 17 per cent to nine per cent.
There is little doubt that mounting economic challenges, such as escalating inflation, growing interest payments, and a deepening housing crisis with soaring resale prices and rents, have been intertwined with the surge in immigration, has impacted public attitudes.
Blaming immigrants for economic issues is simplistic. Canada's immigration policy needs a rational, balanced approach, recognizing its comprehensive economic impact. Proper policy, communication and action can harness immigration's benefits, ensuring economic prosperity and social cohesion.
Comments