Maddeaux | Mark Carney hopes to lure tech workers to Canada. One problem: Canada is already struggling to keep and attract talent

2025/10/15 Leave a comment

Reminder not so easy:

Domestic STEM talent is fleeing, too. A 2023 study of STEM graduates from the classes of 2015 and 2016 at the University of Toronto, University of Waterloo and University of British Columbia found two-thirds of them working in the U.S. Similarly, a 2020 survey of graduating STEM students at the University of Waterloo found 84 per cent of the class planned to work in the U.S., driven primarily by significantly higher compensation. Nevermind attracting the best and brightest; we should be more worried about the U.S. absorbing our best and brightest.

In 2023, think tank The Dais clocked the average American tech salary to be about 46 per cent higher than the average Canadian tech salary with exchange rate and cost of living taken into account.

Top talent is smart enough to run a simple equation: wages are too low and living costs are too high. In particular, housing costs are outrageously divorced from incomes. Canada’s tech hubs in particular have some of the most distorted price-to-income ratios in the world….

Source: Opinion | Mark Carney hopes to lure tech workers to Canada. One problem: Canada is already struggling to keep and attract talent

Filed under Immigration Tagged with ,

ICYMI – Globe editorial: Ottawa narrows the private path for settling refugees

2025/10/15 Leave a comment

One of the more successful programs:

…However, the sidelining of this remarkable program is unfortunate, as privately sponsored refugees have better outcomes than those assisted by the government. Not only is it initially cheaper for the government, but a study tracking the outcomes of Syrian refugees showed that privately sponsored ones were more likely to be employed and less likely to be on government assistance. Privately sponsored refugees also have higher incomes. A 2024 Senate report recommended boosting the program. 

Yes, Canada needs to get better control of its immigration system, but let’s not lose track of our rich tradition of helping refugees. Their entry doesn’t always need to be directly managed by government – grassroots groups can help, and their strong interest shows these refugees have support to integrate here. 

While it’s true that Canada can’t help all people in need during this time of increased global displacement, surely we can maintain our commitments to help refugees. The privately sponsored program remains one of the best ways to do it. 

Source: Ottawa narrows the private path for settling refugees

Filed under Immigration, Refugees Tagged with ,

ICYMI – Brunner: Canadian international student policy at a crossroads

2025/10/15 Leave a comment

Good list of some of the issues and some easier to address than others:

This policy brief identifies four core challenges:

  • Lack of clear, cross-sectoral policy co-ordination: A disjointed, diffused and volatile policy arena is marked by competing objectives among its many actors and lacks a holistic approach to long-term planning and shared accountability.
  • Funding dependency: Overreliance on international student tuition fees as a revenue source has left post-secondary institutions vulnerable and without clear alternatives.
  • Damaged public consensus: High international student recruitment levels, unsupported by adequate settlement services and infrastructure, have eroded public support not only for international students but also for immigration more broadly.
  • Transparency and fairness: Complex and inconsistent immigration pathways create prolonged uncertainty and vulnerability for international students, resulting in a system marked by precarity and potential exploitation.

To address these systemic issues, this brief recommends:

  • An international education strategy that is collaborative, multi-level and cross-sectoral;
  • Predictable and clearly communicated pathways to permanent residency so international students can make informed choices before choosing to study in Canada;
  • Increased and sustained public investment in higher education to reduce institutions’ dependency on international student tuition;
  • Co-ordinated, universally accessible settlement services with clear accountability across government and institutional actors;
  • Strengthened transparency and regulation of institutional and recruitment practices, supported by accessible public data on student outcomes.

By rebalancing the policy landscape toward sustainability, transparency and ethical responsibility, Canada can better manage international students’ economic benefits, protect institutional integrity and uphold its commitments to the international students it recruits.

Source: Brunner: Canadian international student policy at a crossroads

Filed under Immigration Tagged with ,

ICYMI – Chan: Religious literacy can help Quebec balance identity and inclusion

2025/10/15 Leave a comment

Of course, this works both ways, the religiously devote also need secular literacy to engage meaningfully in a a pluralistic society:

…In a world where religious and ideological polarization is growing, with three in 10 countries experiencing high levels of restrictions or social hostilities involving religion, religious literacy is not an academic luxury; it is a necessity. Over 84 per cent of the global population identifies with a religion, and, even in Quebec where laïcitéis cherished, religion continues to shape values and policies. As the Bouchard-Taylor Commission warned, “Ignorance of religious traditions fosters misunderstanding and social tension.”

Religious literacy enables devout Quebecers to deepen their faith, helps the religious understand their cultural heritage and equips the secular with tools to engage meaningfully in a pluralistic society.

Religious literacy addresses Quebec’s challenges with integration and polarization. As the province welcomes newcomers from diverse backgrounds – Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists and others – understanding their worldviews is critical for social harmony and cohesion. It helps deconstruct stereotypes surrounding religious and cultural practices and encourages constructive dialogue around accommodations. Through mutual understanding of the ABCs of belief systems, Quebecers can bridge divides, whether in cosmopolitan Montreal or rural regions with deep Catholic roots.

To promote religious literacy, Quebec and Canada should integrate it into educational curricula and public awareness initiatives, empowering youth and adults to navigate diversity with empathy and awareness.

W.Y. Alice Chan, PhD, is the executive director and co-founder of the Centre for Civic Religious Literacy, a non-religious, non-profit organization. She holds a master’s degree in teaching from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto and a doctorate in education from McGill University.

Source: Religious literacy can help Quebec balance identity and inclusion

Filed under Multiculturalism, Religion Tagged with

Ahmad: Zohran Mamdani and How to Be a ‘Good’ Muslim in America

2025/10/14 2 Comments

Good long read on Mamdani and being Muslim in America:

…But Muslims have been made to grin and bear it in America for more than two decades. Watching Mr. Mamdani stand unwaveringly in the face of a stream of anti-Muslim abuse is to witness the distillation of that dynamic in a single person. I’d be lying if I said I think his fate in this particular matter will improve over time. It is a certainty that Mr. Mamdani, if he wins the mayoralty, will have to contend with even more Islamophobic slurs, on a national scale.

In the face of this, it’s easy to become cynical, even as his popularity marks a moment of triumph for Muslims. Mr. Mamdani sees it differently.

“I used to be quite consumed by forever being a minority — of being an Indian in Uganda, Muslim in India, all of these things in New York City,” he said to me. It’s a sentiment he’s had to express often over the course of his campaign. It’s at once well rehearsed and heartfelt. “I remember my father telling me that to be a minority is also to see the truth of the place, to see promise and to see the contradictions of it.”

Mr. Mamdani finds hope in that tension.

“I was always left with a cleareyed sense of the world that I was in,” he said, “and how to ensure that the contradiction of that world didn’t leave you with a sense of bitterness.”

Meher Ahmad is an editor in the Opinion section.

Source: Zohran Mamdani and How to Be a ‘Good’ Muslim in America

Filed under Multiculturalism, Religion Tagged with ,

Chapman: Bill C-3 corrects inequalities, brings Citizenship Act into compliance with the Charter

2025/10/14 Leave a comment

Written before the amendments made by the House immigration committee although I expect Chapman likely opposes all of the amendments based upon his previous writings and testimonies.

And in his criticism of the CPC and their procedural maneuverings, he neglects to acknowledge that the Liberal government and the NDP in previous parliaments poisoned the chalice by expanding the scope of the narrow S-245 to include removal of the first-generation cut-off, hardly an example of being “respectful of democratic institutions:”

…Last week, I watched the committee discussion with concern as the Conservative Party under Pierre Poilievre returned to a familiar, dogmatic and troubling playbook—one that elevates fear over fact, and partisan rhetoric over responsible governance. Dismissing expert analysis, disregarding a clear judicial ruling, and inflaming public sentiment may deliver short-term political gain.

However, the long-term cost is steep: the steady erosion of the institutions that underpin our prosperity, our unity, and the rule of law itself.

Democracy depends not only on laws and courts, but on a shared commitment to uphold them. When a political party becomes comfortable with unequal treatment under the law, distorts public discourse, or refuses to acknowledge and correct its own mistakes—these are not isolated errors. They are signs of weakened accountability and declining leadership.

The moral and legal imperative to enshrine equal rights in the Citizenship Act is clear. Equality rights cannot be optional. Canadians must be cautious not to follow the troubling path of democratic backsliding visible else where. A decade ago, few would have predicted how quickly democratic norms in the United States would come under pressure. Institutional decline begins quietly—then accelerates. As with financial markets, trust builds slowly but can disappear overnight. 

And in politics, fear remains an expedient and dangerous currency—too often spent more readily than truth. Leadership of any party—indeed of any party—must be about more than electoral calculus. It must be rooted in principle—be respectful of democratic institutions, guided by evidence, and committed to the rights, dignity, and equality of all citizens.

Bill C-3 is a necessary step in that direction.

Source: Chapman: Bill C-3 corrects inequalities, brings Citizenship Act into compliance with the Charter

Filed under C-3, Citizenship Tagged with

Yin: Canada doesn’t like immigration anymore. This is a problem

2025/10/14 Leave a comment

Even the Century Initiative has moved past this simplistic thinking:

…In a world where Canada can no longer rely on others for its security, population size is also key for geopolitical power. Trade agreements are negotiated to gain access to large markets – which is partly why China and India wield so much influence, and why countries have rushed to accommodate Donald Trump’s tariffs, a country that is nearly ten times larger than us. Military strength, too, depends on demographic depth: Active forces can only ever be a small share of the population, and Canada’s military currently faces a shortfall of nearly 14,000 personnel. If we want Canada to carry more weight in the world, Canada must be bigger.

…The purpose here is not to fearmonger, or to dismiss the genuine concerns surrounding immigration. But it is important to keep our eye on long run objectives and to frame the current debate correctly. We should prioritize addressing housing for now, but large scale immigration will always be essential in growing Canada’s potential.

Kevin Yin is a contributing columnist for The Globe and Mail and an economics doctoral student at the University of California, Berkeley.

Source: Canada doesn’t like immigration anymore. This is a problem

Filed under Immigration Tagged with

Jamie Sarkonak: Canada doesn’t owe the world’s children a passport

2025/10/14 Leave a comment

More support for curbing birthright citizenship:

Anyone in the world can come to Canada, have a baby, and secure that child a lifetime of Canadian benefits along with a family link to this country for later chain migration. They don’t have to speak English or French; they don’t have to share our taboos against incest and rape; they don’t need to contribute anything to Canadian society. There are no guardrails.

But on Tuesday, we got a glimpse of how good things could be when Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel Garner proposed a simple change to the law that would prevent citizenship from being granted to children born in Canada to non-citizens — unless at least one parent has permanent residency.

This would close Canada’s widest and most longstanding chain migration entry point without being too harsh on the foreign nationals who have established a connection to the country (though we do need higher standards for PR, too). It’s about as fair as you can get. Alas, Rempel Garner’s amendment was promptly shot down by the Bloc Québécois and the Liberals, who believe in the extreme approach of handing passports out like candy at a parade.

The rest of the world has noticed our complete lack of boundaries and is taking advantage of it. Non-resident births in 2021-22 doubled to 5,698 from the previous year’s 2,245. It’s a cottage industry in B.C., and in one study of 102 birth tourists at a Calgary hospital, the most popular source country was Nigeria, but parents also came from the Middle East, India and Mexico. Keep in mind that these are just the non-residents — there are plenty of other temporary residents giving birth here, but we don’t seem to be keeping track.

Even if these children grow up and never set foot in Canada again, they’ll be entitled to all the benefits of citizenship. They’ll be able to run for office, vote, and obtain consular services if unrest engulfs whatever country their family has chosen to raise them in. If they ever join a terror organization like ISIS, Canadian officials will be expected to retrieve them.

Not to mention the privilege of low domestic tuition, a right to public health care, the unfettered ability to re-enter the country, the ability to claim all kinds of social benefits, the absolute impossibility of deportation should they ever commit a heinous crime, and the guarantee that their children will be eligible for Canadian citizenship, too — and their children, if the Liberals pass Bill C-3, which has now cleared committee.

It’s not just the developing world’s rich who are using this loophole. It’s an avenue that’s open to any economic migrant: from “students” of strip-mall colleges, to temporary workers, to bogus asylum seekers. Having a child in Canada bolsters their applications to remain, particularly if they ever face deportation….

Source: Jamie Sarkonak: Canada doesn’t owe the world’s children a passport

Filed under Birthright Citizenship, Citizenship Tagged with

Yakabuski | Le droit du sol en danger/Birthright citizenship

2025/10/14 Leave a comment

More commentary on birthright cit and birth tourism and the need for more accurate data [I estimated that about 50 percent of non-resident self-pay births were likely due to birth tourism, so about half of what Yakabuski cites. And if anyone has about $60,000, Statistics Canada could do an analysis of non-resident self-pay births by immigration category which would separate out those on visitor visas (largely birth tourists) from international students, temporary workers and asylum seekers:

…Selon un article de l’ancien haut fonctionnaire Andrew Griffith publié en janvier dans Options politiques, il y aurait eu 5219 naissances attribuées au tourisme obstétrique au Canada en 2023-2024, soit environ 1,5 % de toutes les naissances au pays. Toutefois, le gouvernement fédéral ne recueille de statistiques officielles ni sur le tourisme obstétrique ni sur les naissances chez les résidents temporaires.

Avant de changer nos lois pour éliminer un principe aussi fondamental que le droit du sol, nos législateurs devraient avoir la certitude qu’un véritable problème existe et, surtout, qu’il n’existe aucune autre façon de le régler. Pour l’instant, les conservateurs ne se fient que sur des données anecdotiques pour s’enligner sur le chemin trumpiste.

… According to an article by former senior official Andrew Griffith published in January in Political Options, there were 5219 births attributed to obstetric tourism in Canada in 2023-2024, or about 1.5% of all births in the country. However, the federal government does not collect official statistics on obstetric tourism or on births among temporary residents.

Before changing our laws to eliminate a principle as fundamental as the law of the soil, our legislators should be sure that a real problem exists and, above all, that there is no other way to solve it. For the moment, the Conservatives rely only on anecdotal data to align themselves on the Trump path.

Source: Chronique | Le droit du sol en danger

Filed under Birthright Citizenship, Citizenship Tagged with

Keller: How Canada got immigration right for so long – and then got it very, very wrong

2025/10/11 1 Comment

Good long analysis that captures the dynamic and history well. Money quote:

It was a deliberate policy, but it was also an absence of mind. It was like one of those aviation disasters where the cabin depressurizes, and the pilots, unaware of their impairment via oxygen-deprivation, start making what post-crash investigators will identify as less-than-rational decisions.

Source: How Canada got immigration right for so long – and then got it very, very wrong

Filed under Immigration Tagged with

← Older posts

Newer posts →