Renforcer le système d immigration canadien.

Transcription

1 Renforcer le système d immigration canadien. Aperçu Le présent rapport résume les sujets abordés au Sommet canadien de l immigration Le ministre de l Immigration, des Réfugiés et de la Citoyenneté du Canada, Ahmed Hussen, a ouvert le sommet en donnant en aperçu des priorités fédérales en matière d immigration et en exhortant les 410 délégués présents à contribuer à sensibiliser le public à l importance de l immigration pour la prospérité du Canada. S agissant du programme d établissement, il a été question, entre autres, de la manière de renforcer les liens entre le gouvernement et le secteur de l établissement, ainsi que des améliorations que le Canada pourrait apporter à la façon dont il évalue les résultats relatifs à l établissement des immigrants. Les conférenciers invités au sommet ont également exploré les répercussions potentielles de l évolution de la technologie sur les besoins du Canada en immigration et examiné comment le Canada pourrait accroître la compétitivité de son système d immigration sur la scène mondiale. Une version anglaise exhaustive de cette publication suit ce résumé en français. RAPPORT AOÛT 2018

2 Renforcer le système d immigration canadien Résumé Les 30 et 31 mai 2018, le Conference Board du Canada a tenu son quatrième sommet canadien annuel de l immigration à Ottawa. L événement a réuni 410 participants venus de partout au Canada et d ailleurs dans le monde, dont le ministre de l Immigration, des Réfugiés et de la Citoyenneté, Ahmed Hussen; des fonctionnaires des trois ordres de gouvernement; ainsi que des représentants du monde des affaires, de la communauté du droit et des services-conseils en immigration, des établissements d enseignement et du secteur de l établissement. Regard des délégués au sommet tourné vers le ministre Hussen, qui répond aux questions après son allocution d ouverture. > Source : Le Conference Board du Canada. Au cours du sommet, deux thèmes importants et connexes ont été abordés : le renforcement de l économie canadienne et le renforcement du programme d établissement des immigrants. Ces thèmes ont été choisis à la lumière des conclusions de rapports récents du Conference Consultez les recherches du Conference Board à b

3 Le Conference Board du Canada. Tous droits réservés. Veuillez communiquer avec cboc.ca/ip si vous avez des questions au sujet de l'utilisation de ce document. Le Conference Board du Canada L immigration joue un rôle de plus en plus important relativement à la population canadienne, la main d oeuvre et la croissance économique. Board sur l immigration 1. Ces rapports montrent que l immigration joue un rôle de plus en plus important en ce qui concerne la population, la main-d œuvre et la croissance économique au Canada et que, bien que notre pays dispose de l un des systèmes d immigration les plus solides dans le monde, grâce en bonne partie à la robustesse de son secteur de l établissement, ce système continue de faire face à des défis majeurs. Parmi ceux-ci, notons la difficulté des immigrants à trouver un emploi qui correspond à leurs compétences et la capacité défaillante du programme d établissement à favoriser la collaboration, la flexibilité et l innovation en raison de diverses contraintes stratégiques et opérationnelles. Des conférenciers issus d une variété de secteurs ont exprimé leurs points de vue, résumés dans le présent rapport, sur les mesures à prendre pour améliorer ces aspects. Ont également été explorés au sommet divers enjeux récents de portée internationale comme la politique américaine en matière d immigration et le Pacte mondial pour les migrations, élaboré sous les auspices des Nations Unies. Le rapport résume les points soulevés durant le sommet dans l ordre suivant : Allocution du ministre Ahmed Hussen Renforcer l économie canadienne L immigration à l ère de l automatisation Comment attirer les meilleurs et les plus brillants Le processus Entrée express points de vue Les 20 ans du Programme des candidats des provinces L immigration dans la région de l Atlantique, un impératif L immigration francophone Renforcer le programme d établissement Financer le programme d établissement Mesurer le succès de l établissement Faire changer les choses Améliorer l accès aux professions réglementées Les innovations sociales qui favorisent l intégration économique L immigration aux États-Unis sous l administration Trump Le Pacte mondial pour les migrations 1 El-Assal et Fields, Canada 2040; El-Assal et Fields, immigrants par année?; El-Assal, Une ère nouvelle. Consultez les recherches du Conference Board à c

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5 Le Conference Board du Canada. Tous droits réservés. Veuillez communiquer avec cboc.ca/ip si vous avez des questions au sujet de l'utilisation de ce document. Strengthening Canada s Immigration System. REPORT AUGUST 2018

6 Strengthening Canada s Immigration System Kareem El-Assal and Ali Bajwa Preface The Conference Board of Canada hosted its fourth annual Canadian Immigration Summit on May 30 31, 2018, in Ottawa. The event considered two themes: strengthening Canada s economy and strengthening its immigrant settlement program. This report summarizes the key remarks and recommendations made at the Summit. Notable areas of discussion included an update of the federal government s immigration priorities by Minister Ahmed Hussen; the potential impact of technological change on Canada s need for immigrants; enhancing the global competitiveness of Canada s recruitment of top talent; improving the relationship between government and the settlement sector; and enhancing the measurement of immigrant settlement outcomes. To cite this report: El-Assal, Kareem, and Ali Bajwa. Strengthening Canada s Immigration System. Ottawa: The Conference Board of Canada, The Conference Board of Canada* Published in Canada All rights reserved Agreement No *Incorporated as AERIC Inc. An accessible version of this document for the visually impaired is available upon request. Accessibility Officer, The Conference Board of Canada Tel.: or accessibility@conferenceboard.ca The Conference Board of Canada and the torch logo are registered trademarks of The Conference Board, Inc. Forecasts and research often involve numerous assumptions and data sources, and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. This information is not intended as specific investment, accounting, legal, or tax advice. The findings and conclusions of this report do not necessarily reflect the views of the external reviewers, advisors, or investors. Any errors or omissions in fact or interpretation remain the sole responsibility of The Conference Board of Canada.

7 Le Conference Board du Canada. Tous droits réservés. Veuillez communiquer avec cboc.ca/ip si vous avez des questions au sujet de l'utilisation de ce document. CONTENTS i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 Remarks by Minister Ahmed Hussen 3 Strengthening Canada s Economy 3 Immigration in the Age of Automation 6 Attracting the Best and the Brightest 7 Express Entry Perspectives 9 The Provincial Nominee Program at The Atlantic Immigration Imperative 12 Francophone Immigration 14 Strengthening the Settlement Program 17 Funding the Settlement Program 18 Measuring Settlement Success 19 Making an Impact 20 Improving Access to Regulated Professions 23 Social Innovations to Boost Economic Integration 25 U.S. Immigration During the Trump Administration 26 The Global Compact for Migration 27 Conclusion Appendix A 29 Bibliography Appendix B 32 Canadian Immigration Summit 2018 Resources

8 Acknowledgments This National Immigration Centre report was prepared by The Conference Board of Canada and written by Kareem El-Assal, Senior Research Associate, Immigration, and Ali Bajwa, Research Intern, Immigration. The authors thank Pedro Antunes, Deputy Chief Economist, for his internal review of the report and Eleni Kachulis, Research Associate, and Jo-Leen Folz, Administrative and Meetings Coordinator, for contributing to the report. Any errors or omissions in fact or interpretation contained in this report remain the sole responsibility of The Conference Board of Canada. We apologize in advance to any speaker whose views may not have been fully captured in this event synopsis. Sponsors The Conference Board of Canada thanks Fragomen Global for sponsoring this report. It also expresses gratitude to all delegates and sponsors of the Canadian Immigration Summit National Immigration Centre The Conference Board of Canada s National Immigration Centre (NIC) is a major, research-intensive initiative that examines the immigration challenges and opportunities facing Canada today. Through independent, evidence-based, objective research and analysis, NIC makes recommendations for action to help improve Canada s immigration system. The findings and conclusions of this report are entirely those of The Conference Board of Canada. NIC members do not necessarily endorse the contents of this report. Follow us on

9 Le Conference Board du Canada. Tous droits réservés. Veuillez communiquer avec cboc.ca/ip si vous avez des questions au sujet de l'utilisation de ce document. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Strengthening Canada s Immigration System At a Glance This report provides a synopsis of the Canadian Immigration Summit Ahmed Hussen, Canada s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, opened the event with an overview of the federal government s immigration priorities and urged the Summit s 410 delegates to help build public awareness of immigration s value to Canada s prosperity. Settlement program issues discussed included how the relationship between government and the settlement sector could be strengthened and how Canada could improve its measurement of immigrant settlement outcomes. Summit speakers also explored the potential impact of technological change on Canada s immigration needs and how Canada can improve the global competitiveness of its immigration system. Find Conference Board research at

10 Strengthening Canada s Immigration System On May 30 31, 2018, The Conference Board of Canada hosted its fourth annual Canadian Immigration Summit in Ottawa. The event featured 410 participants from across Canada and around the world, including Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship; civil servants from the three levels of government; and officials from business, immigration law and consulting, educational organizations, and the settlement sector. Summit delegates look on as Minister Hussen engages in a question and answer session following his opening remarks. Source: The Conference Board of Canada. > The Summit considered two major, related themes: strengthening Canada s economy and strengthening its immigrant settlement program. The themes were identified based on the findings of recent Conference Board immigration reports. 1 The reports show that immigration is playing an increasingly important role in Canada s population, labour force, and economic growth and that while the country has one of 1 El-Assal and Fields, Canada 2040; El-Assal and Fields, 450,000 Immigrants Annually?; El-Assal, A New Era. Find Conference Board research at ii

11 Le Conference Board du Canada. Tous droits réservés. Veuillez communiquer avec cboc.ca/ip si vous avez des questions au sujet de l'utilisation de ce document. Executive Summary The Conference Board of Canada Immigration is playing an increasingly important role in Canada s population, labour force, and economic growth. the world s strongest immigration systems, thanks in large part to its robust settlement sector, key challenges continue to affect the system. These include immigrants struggling to find work commensurate with their skills and the settlement program struggling to foster collaboration, flexibility, and innovation due to various policy and operational constraints. Speakers from a host of different sectors offered their thoughts on how these issues could be improved; these are provided in this event synopsis. In addition, emerging international issues such as U.S. immigration policy and the United Nations global compact for migration were explored at the Summit. This report summarizes the event s discussion points as follows: Remarks by Minister Ahmed Hussen Strengthening Canada s economy Immigration in the age of automation Attracting the best and the brightest Express Entry perspectives The Provincial Nominee Program at 20 The Atlantic immigration imperative Francophone immigration Strengthening the settlement program Funding the settlement program Measuring settlement success Making an impact Improving access to regulated professions Social innovations to boost economic integration U.S. immigration during the Trump administration The global compact for migration Find Conference Board research at iii

12 Strengthening Canada s Immigration System Remarks by Minister Ahmed Hussen Ahmed Hussen, Canada s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, opened the Summit by touching on federal government immigration initiatives such as the Global Skills Strategy, Start-Up Visa program, Atlantic Immigration Pilot, and Targeted Employment Strategy. The Global Skills Strategy allows businesses across Canada to attract skilled talent, including senior managers, by expediting their work permits and processing them within two weeks. 1 The Minister also cited examples of businesses flourishing under the Start-Up Visa, calling the program a tremendous success. Further, he discussed the Targeted Employment Strategy through which the government connects prospective immigrants to licensing authorities in Canada pre-arrival to facilitate their transition into the labour market. 2 Minister Hussen urged Summit delegates to fight back against anti-immigrant sentiments with facts about the benefits of immigration. Source: The Conference Board of Canada. > The Minister acknowledged the importance of the Live-in Caregiver Program and the need to decrease its processing times and backlog. On this front, the federal government has initiated two pilot programs in which processing times have been reduced to about three months. 1 Government of Canada, Hire Temporary Workers Faster. 2 Government of Canada, Backgrounder Targeted Employment Strategy. Find Conference Board research at 2

13 Le Conference Board du Canada. Tous droits réservés. Veuillez communiquer avec cboc.ca/ip si vous avez des questions au sujet de l'utilisation de ce document. The Conference Board of Canada A Summit participant asked Minister Hussen whether any thought had been given to increasing the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) allocation for the Atlantic region. In response, the Minister stressed the importance of the Atlantic provinces maximizing their allocations under the Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP). He further highlighted the ability of the Atlantic provinces to make use of unfulfilled PNP allocations of other provinces and territories within the AIP. Answering a question about replicating AIP in rural parts of Canada, he suggested that such a program could be introduced in the future. The Minister concluded by urging Summit participants to do all that they could to push back against rising anti-immigrant sentiments and to fight fear with facts. Strengthening Canada s Economy Recent Conference Board research has illustrated the growing importance of immigration to Canada s economy. 3 Today, immigration accounts for some 70 per cent of population growth and 90 per cent of labour force growth. Moving forward, it will account for 100 per cent of population growth and a projected one-third of annual real GDP growth. Consequently, much of the Summit focused on how Canada can augment immigration s role in supporting its economic growth while proactively adapting to evolutions in the labour market such as technological change. Immigration in the Age of Automation The lion s share of Canada s immigrant admissions is driven by the country s need for immigrants to plug labour market gaps in the wake of the growing wave of baby boomers leaving the workforce. While analysts can project attrition in the labour force fairly precisely, there is far less certainty as to what skills will be needed most in the labour 3 El-Assal and Fields, Canada Find Conference Board research at 3

14 Strengthening Canada s Immigration System market moving forward. Moreover, the potential role of technological change in Canada s labour market and the need for immigrants is another major uncertainty. Sunil Johal of the University of Toronto s Mowat Centre delved into this topic and put forward immigration policy considerations. He identified key emerging issues (e.g., digitization, automation of industry, and living in an on-demand society) created by the unique nature of the digital economy. He suggested that the characteristics of firms in the digital economy, including less need for infrastructure, low costs of replication, rapid scalability, powerful network effects, and low barriers to entry, all make it difficult for governments to regulate and protect the public interest. Sunil Johal discusses how technological change could impact Canada s labour market. Source: The Conference Board of Canada. > Over the last few years, technological advancement has led to an increase in non-routine cognitive jobs. Johal predicted that this trend would continue, while routine jobs would steadily decline. For example, he suggested that around 500,000 Canadians who drive for a living could be out of work in the next 10 to 15 years. Highlighting the rise of independent workers, 4 Johal recommended a rethinking of social benefits to address the needs of those in nonstandard work. Discussing skills that would be important to succeed 4 Manyika and others, Independent Work. Find Conference Board research at 4

15 Le Conference Board du Canada. Tous droits réservés. Veuillez communiquer avec cboc.ca/ip si vous avez des questions au sujet de l'utilisation de ce document. The Conference Board of Canada in the future, he focused on the need for social and emotional intelligence complemented by adaptability, creativity, computational skills, and analytic thinking. Johal provided an overview of how Japan, the U.S., and Canada are responding to different labour market challenges. Japan is increasingly relying on automation and artificial intelligence while continuing to restrict immigration. 5 The agriculture sector in the United States is automating rapidly in the wake of the crackdown on undocumented immigrants. 6 Canada, on the other hand, has been targeting highly skilled immigrants to address labour market shortages. He also gave a breakdown of immigrant employment by sector and the likelihood of automation by sector. Immigrants account for 23.8 per cent of the Canadian workforce; 7 sectors with an over-representation of immigrants who are at risk of automation are food counter attendants and kitchen helpers, transport truck drivers, and light-duty cleaners. 8 He emphasized the importance of a coherent immigration policy with data-driven decision-making using a human capital lens and adequate newcomer settlement programs. Canada s main challenge, he said, will be to bring in immigrants with the human capital characteristics most needed in the labour market. Another challenge is increasing competition for skilled immigrants among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, the topic of discussion in another plenary session. The Canadian Immigration Summit 2018 featured 410 delegates from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. > Source: The Conference Board of Canada. 5 Moss, Aging Japan Wants Automation, Not Immigration. 6 Baertlein and Huffstutter, As Trump Targets Immigrants. 7 Statistics Canada, Census Data table X Lamb, The Talented Mr. Robot. Find Conference Board research at 5

16 Strengthening Canada s Immigration System Attracting the Best and the Brightest David Crawford of Fragomen Global and Lesleyanne Hawthorne of the University of Melbourne discussed the global competition for talent and what Canada and Australia are doing to become more attractive destinations for skilled immigrants. Crawford said that one of the major benefits of the Canadian system is the use of objective selection criteria, which enables accurate self-assessment among potential immigrants and reduces the number of applications from those who do not qualify for immigration. This facilitates predictable results, timely service, and the effective use of government resources. While Canada is successful in this area when it comes to permanent residency, it is less so for some temporary residence permit categories where the criteria are subjective and the processing time frames are subject to change. Crawford explained, however, that the federal government is responsible for ensuring that employers who bring in foreign workers comply with Canadian laws, through appropriate compliance and audit checks, which he said is essential to maintaining the integrity and public support of the country s immigration system. He concluded by stating that it is essential that countries such as Canada ensure that the spirit of their immigration system (i.e., their desire to attract top talent) is supported by a regulatory regime that advances this aim through objective criteria, timely service, and good use of government resources. Hawthorne opened her remarks by providing the largely Canadian audience with an overview of key Australian immigration statistics over the past decade. Some 27 per cent of Australians are immigrants and net immigration (immigration minus emigration) has accounted for 59 per cent of population growth. She noted that the global competition for talent requires countries to offer a holistic immigration package that comprises good selection and settlement programs and that Canada and Australia were both strong in this regard. At the same time, emerging trends are challenging the existing immigration paradigm and increasing the global competition for talent. For instance, an increasing number of young Australians are immigrating to China for economic opportunity. Find Conference Board research at 6

17 Le Conference Board du Canada. Tous droits réservés. Veuillez communiquer avec cboc.ca/ip si vous avez des questions au sujet de l'utilisation de ce document. The Conference Board of Canada Immigrants have helped Australia achieve replacement-rate fertility levels. Canada and Australia have similar immigration systems (i.e., points systems to select skilled immigrants), but a key difference between the two countries is that Australia tends to have higher employment rates for principal applicants under the economic class within six months of landing. Among the reasons for this is that most of Australia s immigrants have traditionally come from English-speaking countries; over the past decade, however, India, China, and the Philippines have emerged as some of Australia s top source countries for immigrants. (The United Kingdom is second and Ireland is fifth.) One of the most significant developments in recent years has been Australia s growing reliance on temporary residents as a source of immigrants. Today, some 50 per cent of economic class principal applicants were former temporary residents of the country. Many of these individuals are former international students who have helped Australia achieve replacement-rate fertility levels. Hawthorne concluded by highlighting recent Australian policy reforms. Continuing the tradition of the two countries adopting new policies gleaned from each another, Australia borrowed from Canada to launch its Global Talent Scheme in The scheme allows employers with over $4 million in annual revenues to hire foreign workers who earn above $180,000 or for technology-based and STEM-related start-up businesses to hire foreign workers with skills most likely to spur innovation and job creation. In both cases, employers can recruit such foreign workers without requiring a labour market test. Express Entry Perspectives Express Entry is a major feature of the Canadian immigration system that was adopted from Australia and New Zealand. Canada launched Express Entry in January 2015 to reduce backlogs and processing times, address labour shortages, and recruit individuals with high human capital most likely to succeed in Canada s economy. Speakers from the public and private sectors spoke on Express Entry s strengths and areas in which it could be improved. Find Conference Board research at 7

18 Strengthening Canada s Immigration System Key issues IRCC is considering include how to process outlier or special cases of skilled immigrants who face barriers or do not qualify under Express Entry. Patrick McEvenue of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said that early benefits of Express Entry include more invited candidates having Canadian credentials (e.g., international students) and siblings in Canada which helps the economic integration process and other benefits such as more invited candidates having STEM backgrounds, job offers, and French-language proficiency. Express Entry is competitive and attracts those with high human capital; has eliminated backlogs while improving processing times; is more transparent; helps provinces and territories respond to their labour market needs; and provides the department with a lot of performance data they can use to inform future policy. Key issues IRCC is considering include how to process outlier or special cases of skilled immigrants who face barriers or do not qualify under Express Entry; how to adapt selection criteria to the changing nature of work; how Express Entry impacts certain occupational groups; the system s complexity; and how to engage employers so they can benefit from Express Entry. Deanna Okun-Nachoff of McCrea Immigration Law said that Express Entry is successful on two fronts: speed and transparency. Like Crawford and Hawthorne, she stressed the importance of having a system that facilitates clear and predictable decisions so that stakeholders can assess whether a candidate has a chance of qualifying for immigration. However, Express Entry falls short on accessibility, choosing the right candidates, and delivering good customer service. She finds the initiative is unnecessarily complicated which is beneficial to immigration lawyers and consultants, who have seen requests for their services go up as a result. This might make Express Entry less accessible to those who struggle to navigate the system and cannot afford a lawyer or consultant. Another challenge is that Express Entry s point system does not always reward people who she believes have high human capital and would succeed in the Canadian labour market (e.g., those above the age of 45 and/or those who do not have Canadian experience). Third, she said that customer service is a challenge because the immigration screening process is automated and when there are technical issues on the Express Entry website, it is difficult to reach customer support. Find Conference Board research at 8

19 Le Conference Board du Canada. Tous droits réservés. Veuillez communiquer avec cboc.ca/ip si vous avez des questions au sujet de l'utilisation de ce document. The Conference Board of Canada Patrick Snider of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce explained that employers have largely had a positive experience with Express Entry but noted some challenges. IRCC has addressed earlier concerns such as international students not receiving enough points under Express Entry. However, employers continue to express frustration with the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process, which remains onerous. To further improve it, employer feedback needs to be better integrated into the Express Entry system. For example, employers could help IRCC identify which occupations are most in-demand and should be given priority in the selection process. He pointed to the AIP as an example of how red tape can be reduced so that employers can recruit newcomers more easily. The Provincial Nominee Program at 20 This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), and three speakers shared federal, provincial, and employer perspectives on its strengths, challenges, and areas for improvement. Natasha Kim of IRCC stressed the importance of provinces and territories working with the federal government to achieve national immigration and economic growth objectives. Key strengths of the PNP include its ability to respond to emerging labour market needs and high employment rates and earnings among provincial nominees. The PNP s challenges include its long processing times and the limited number of francophones arriving under it. Kim explained that the PNP s continued success will rely upon strengthening partnerships between multiple levels of government and encouraging positive discourse on immigration within communities across the country. Ben Rempel of Manitoba Education and Training emphasized the importance of provinces and territories having the role and freedom to select newcomers that correspond with their labour market needs. One of the PNP s greatest benefits is promoting regionalization. Whereas 87 per cent of economic class newcomers settled in Ontario, Find Conference Board research at 9

20 Strengthening Canada s Immigration System Manitoba depends on the PNP to attract 93 per cent of its economic class newcomers. Quebec, and British Columbia in 1995, we are now seeing more immigration to provinces and territories across Canada. Manitoba, for instance, depends on the PNP to attract 93 per cent of its economic class newcomers. Manitoba has had challenges with the program, including employer fraud and credential recognition barriers; however, the PNP s growth and ability to foster innovation has allowed the province to benefit greatly from it. Rempel concluded his remarks with a series of open-ended questions to spur discussion on how the PNP can be improved, including whether there is the right mix of PNP streams and whether language requirements are high enough, social capital criteria should be strengthened, and current PNP allocations are conducive to meeting national immigration goals. Baerbel Langner of HyLife used her company s success to illustrate the benefits of the PNP, specifically its role in reviving rural economies. Founded in 1994, HyLife has grown from 10 employees to some 1,300 today. Over the past decade it has invested over $200 million in integrated pork production and a strategy that processes about 1.9 million hogs per year. Langner highlighted the importance of the meat sector to the Canadian economy and stressed that there was plenty of room to grow. However, sector labour shortages pose a significant challenge: butchers, for example, are in short supply. While the sector seeks Canadians to fill jobs first, it needs to draw upon the PNP and Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) to fill jobs that Canadians are not necessarily interested in pursuing. Highlighting an analysis conducted by the Canadian Meat Council on available PNP pathways, Langner noted that only Manitoba has a stream available for immigrant butchers. In addition to PNP reforms, the Canadian Meat Council believes that the federal government could introduce a new federal agri-food pilot program, double the TFWP work permit length to two years, and remove the TFWP cap for primary processing. Find Conference Board research at 10

21 Le Conference Board du Canada. Tous droits réservés. Veuillez communiquer avec cboc.ca/ip si vous avez des questions au sujet de l'utilisation de ce document. The Conference Board of Canada The Atlantic Immigration Imperative One of the Summit s recurring topics was the importance of boosting immigration in Atlantic Canada to combat the region s demographic, economic, and fiscal challenges the subject of a recent Conference Board report. 9 Tracey Taweel of the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration (NSOI) explained that the region s demographic challenges are a sign of things to come in the rest of Canada. Like the region s three other provinces, Nova Scotia is prioritizing immigrant attraction and retention to improve its prosperity. The province is benefiting from Express Entry and the PNP to recruit more economic class immigrants and continues to adjust its PNP selection criteria to reflect the needs of its employers and labour market. Moreover, the AIP is a new tool to recruit more immigrants and allows the region s provinces to test a new approach that embeds settlement supports in the selection process, which may have a positive impact on retention. Taweel highlighted other provincial initiatives to support its immigration objectives. NSOI partners with 14 settlement organizations to ensure that immigrants have robust settlement supports regardless of where they choose to build a life within the province. It is also engaging with stakeholders across the province to help build their awareness of immigration s value and to build the capacity of employers to hire immigrants. The province is also working hard to promote itself as a destination of choice for newcomers by emphasizing its high quality of life, unique character, and job opportunities. It has a new branding campaign called Room to Live, which it is using in international markets to try to recruit more newcomers. A key result of such efforts is that support for immigration is growing in Nova Scotia and the province s immigration and retention figures are surging. Moving forward, Nova Scotia will continue to work to maximize its PNP and AIP allocations; engage with stakeholders, including employers; promote itself overseas; grow its francophone immigrant population; and fill urgent labour market gaps. For example, NSOI recently travelled to London and Dublin to recruit general physicians and has already brought in six so far. She noted that the College of Physicians and Surgeons 9 El-Assal and Goucher, Immigration to Atlantic Canada. Find Conference Board research at 11

22 Strengthening Canada s Immigration System Population aging is placing tremendous strain on New Brunswick s economy, with some 110,000 people set to retire over the next decade. of Nova Scotia recognizes equivalency in certain countries, which expedites the immigration process. In addition, immigrant physicians need to demonstrate they have medical status and a job offer to qualify for immigration to the province. Mike Timani of Fancy Pokket Corporation spoke of efforts made in New Brunswick to boost immigration. Population aging is placing tremendous strain on New Brunswick s economy and will continue to do so, with some 110,000 people set to retire over the next decade. As such, stakeholders in the province have established a goal of attracting 150,000 newcomers over the next 20 years. New Brunswick had an immigrant population of about 30,000 people as of the 2016 Census and has averaged about 3,000 immigrant landings annually over the past five years. 10 Timani explained that the keys to success include New Brunswick having enough flexibility through the PNP and AIP to recruit more immigrants. Moreover, he said that the federal and provincial government need to provide settlement organizations with enough funding to help improve immigrant retention, which has been a longstanding challenge in the region. While the AIP is going well, it can be improved, especially in terms of more information-sharing among employers and immigrants. Most employers in the province are small and medium-sized enterprises with little experience using immigration programs. On the plus side, the province is taking steps to engage employers. For example, it created an assistant deputy minister position to foster employer and community engagement with the AIP. Francophone Immigration Jacques Leroux of Quebec s Ministry of Immigration, Diversity and Inclusion (MIDI) discussed the province s efforts to achieve its francophone immigration goals against the backdrop of 2018 marking the 50th anniversary of Quebec being the first province in Canada to launch its own immigration ministry. Fifty years ago, he said, Quebec saw immigration as a means of strengthening its francophone fabric, 10 Ibid. Find Conference Board research at 12

23 Le Conference Board du Canada. Tous droits réservés. Veuillez communiquer avec cboc.ca/ip si vous avez des questions au sujet de l'utilisation de ce document. The Conference Board of Canada Quebec has a strategy to recruit francophone immigrants most likely to succeed in its labour market. and this remains the case today. In March 2016, the province introduced a new policy document stating that immigration would continue to support Quebec s demographic goals, economy, efforts to globalize, and francophone culture and has put in place an action plan to guide its efforts to achieve its policies. However, like every other jurisdiction, Quebec faces the challenge of integrating newcomers into the labour market. Immigrants account for 52 per cent of new jobs created in Quebec, but most jobs in the province are located outside of Montreal the city the majority of newcomers choose to settle in. As such, Quebec has a strategy to recruit francophone immigrants most likely to succeed in its labour market. It has immigration offices in countries around the world. In addition, it is implementing an expression-of-interest selection process (similar to Express Entry) that will be more dynamic and responsive to its labour market needs. MIDI also employs French teachers to provide language training to newcomers and provides financial incentives to employers who provide on-the-job language training. MIDI s relationship with employers and other important community players stems from its philosophy that such partnerships are critical to Quebec s desire to remain the leading centre of francophone culture in Canada. Isabelle Leblond and Steven Fecteau of Olymel shared the experiences of the Canadian food processing company s efforts to recruit francophone immigrants in Quebec and New Brunswick. Leblond explained that Olymel s Quebec factories are in rural areas where labour is scarce and so it needs to recruit immigrants from across the province and around the world. It targets francophone immigrants to ensure they can integrate in their factories and in the community. Some of the countries they recruit from include Mauritius, Madagascar, Djibouti, and other African countries with francophone populations. Olymel boasts a 100 per cent immigrant retention rate in Quebec. She attributes this to the partnerships it develops with government and the community and the intercultural training it provides to its workforce. Additionally, Olymel invests in newcomer onboarding by giving immigrants a sense of what to expect in Quebec (e.g., through videos); providing immigrant families Find Conference Board research at 13

24 Strengthening Canada s Immigration System with settlement and integration supports, including training on Quebec s workplace culture; and collaborating with volunteers and other local partners to help immigrants integrate into the community. Some of the challenges include delays in immigration application processing, lack of housing, and difficulties facilitating transportation to rural communities. She also added that recruitment and integration costs are very high and that while Olymel can make this investment because it is a large company, smaller companies are unlikely to be able to afford the costs. Discussing Olymel s efforts in New Brunswick, Fecteau also stressed the importance of creating relationships to facilitate retention. For example, he greets newcomers at the airport when they first arrive in the province. Olymel addresses the basic needs of newcomers, such as helping them find the local grocery store and enrolling their children in school. He explained that residents in rural communities may be apprehensive about immigration s benefits, but providing them with information and creating relationships between them and the newcomers is helpful to fostering understanding. Strengthening the Settlement Program Canada has one of the world s most sophisticated immigrant settlement programs. This is demonstrated by several metrics, including the level of federal and provincial funding and the country s vibrant settlement community, which comprises some 500 organizations dedicated to providing newcomers with the supports they need to thrive. However, the Conference Board and others in the field note ongoing challenges with the settlement program, including determining which services are most required and most effective; ensuring adequate settlement funding to cover the growing demand for services as Canada s immigration levels rise; facilitating collaboration among stakeholders, which can be difficult due to competition for limited government funding; and government funders providing settlement organizations with the flexibility to deliver tailored supports that correspond with the diverse needs of immigrants within their respective communities. Find Conference Board research at 14

25 Le Conference Board du Canada. Tous droits réservés. Veuillez communiquer avec cboc.ca/ip si vous avez des questions au sujet de l'utilisation de ce document. The Conference Board of Canada Fariborz Birjandian, Jean McCrae, Debbie Douglas, and David Manicom (left to right) explore how government and the settlement sector can strengthen their partnership. Source: The Conference Board of Canada. > Stakeholders from the federal government and settlement sector weighed in on these issues as they engaged in a fireside chat on improving Canada s settlement program. Fariborz Birjandian of the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society emphasized the complexity of settlement and integration, which he pointed out involves the participation of an array of stakeholders who do not necessarily work in immigration. He said that, ultimately, the key to success is to focus on improving the lives of people, rather than on policies, programs, or settlement organizations. Nonetheless, the settlement sector fills an important need in Canadian society and has become one of Canada s immigration advantages when compared with its global peers. Debbie Douglas of the Ontario Council of Associations Serving Immigrants said that the relationship between government and the settlement sector is positive, but that at times unnecessary tensions develop between government officials and settlement organizations. She suggested this is partly a function of government viewing it as their role to monitor and police settlement organizations; instead, the two need to see each other as partners who share accountability on how funding is used and what settlement and integration outcomes are derived from the funding. There needs to be a more holistic government approach to supporting settlement and integration. She said that IRCC Find Conference Board research at 15

26 Strengthening Canada s Immigration System Implementing gender-based analysis across the federal government could improve newcomer settlement and integration. could champion this initiative so that all federal departments ensure that their policies and programs are sensitive to the needs of immigrants. For instance, the federal government has implemented gender-based analysis within its budgeting; using this approach broadly across the federal government could improve newcomer settlement and integration. In addition, Douglas stressed the importance of paying attention to issues such as how race, disabilities, and age might influence newcomers settlement experiences. David Manicom of IRCC noted his department s efforts to shift from settlement consultations to co-planning with key partners such as provinces and territories, settlement organizations, and local immigration partnerships (LIPs). He highlighted the formative role that European cities play in settlement and integration and believes that Canada can learn much from them to strengthen and support the role of cities and LIPs in supporting newcomers. IRCC is also seeking to improve its relationship with the settlement sector. For instance, the new multi-year immigration levels plan and settlement funding envelope will provide more funding certainty for the sector. Moreover, IRCC is working with the sector to focus the department s monitoring and compliance efforts where they are most needed (e.g., settlement organizations that have struggling operations). He highlighted the challenging nature of measuring which settlement programs are most effective. IRCC believes that defunding settlement organizations that do not meet certain quantitative measures is unhelpful; however, IRCC must also be accountable to the Canadian taxpayer and so it is trying to identify how it can better utilize its settlement program database to evaluate the performance of immigrants who access its services versus those who do not use them. Douglas said that stakeholders need to reach a consensus on what constitutes successful settlement and integration while being sensitive to the various characteristics that impact the outcomes of newcomers, such as their race or sexual orientation. Birjandian noted the disconnect between what various stakeholders consider to be successful settlement and integration. For example, newcomers may not be faring well according to government indicators but are nonetheless happy and successful in their own eyes. He suggested that IRCC enter into contractual Find Conference Board research at 16

27 Le Conference Board du Canada. Tous droits réservés. Veuillez communiquer avec cboc.ca/ip si vous avez des questions au sujet de l'utilisation de ce document. The Conference Board of Canada agreements with settlement organizations that measure the results of specific programs while at the same time contributing to a broader national project involving other key stakeholders that evaluates the performance of employers, the health care system, police departments, and others in supporting settlement and integration. Funding the Settlement Program Continuing the discussion from the previous session, Effat Ghassemi of the Newcomer Centre of Peel and Carl Nicholson of the Catholic Centre for Immigrants discussed how common settlement sector funding challenges could be addressed. Ghassemi argued that a major limitation of IRCC s national funding policy is that it does not account for differences within respective jurisdictions. For instance, the settlement funding that Ontario receives from IRCC has decreased due to the province s national share of immigrants decreasing; however, decreased funding hurts regions within Ontario, such as Peel, that have seen their immigrant populations rise. To foster improvement, she said that qualitative and quantitative metrics need to be considered together and that moving toward five-year funding arrangements between governments and settlement organizations could help the sector plan their operations better and deliver more innovative services to newcomers. Nicholson said there is an assumption that settlement organizations work for government, when in fact, settlement organizations have agency and are driven by their goal of making Canada a better place. He noted that IRCC does not have a direct connection with newcomers on the ground, which is why they rely upon the expertise of settlement organizations to achieve the department s goal of facilitating newcomer settlement and integration. Nicholson would like to see government play a role in supporting efforts to promote innovative good practices that are implemented by settlement organizations. The settlement community adapts to the needs of newcomers, but government focuses too much on monitoring what settlement organizations do rather than on what government can learn from adopting good practices more broadly. He also believes that settlement funding should be provided to allow Find Conference Board research at 17

28 Strengthening Canada s Immigration System the settlement community to advocate the benefits of immigration to Canadians to help create more welcoming environments for newcomers. He concurred with Ghassemi that five-year funding arrangements would give settlement organizations more flexibility. Moreover, he emphasized points raised by Ghassemi, Douglas, and Birjandian that government funding needs to account for inflation and the real costs of operating a settlement organization so that the sector can sustain their operations, deliver quality services, and retain talent retention of settlement workers was flagged as a major obstacle by numerous speakers and audience members due to low wages and wage growth in the sector. Measuring Settlement Success Umit Kiziltan of IRCC and Francis Boakye of the Centre for Newcomers explored how Canada can enhance its efforts to evaluate the success of its settlement and integration programs. Like other speakers, Kiziltan emphasized the need to define success. He outlined how the IRCC has moved away from counting dollars, but acknowledged the challenge of balancing the imperatives of attributing how money is spent with the desire of stakeholders to evaluate the performance of settlement and integration programs. To measure economic integration, IRCC draws from a variety of sources, including tax and landing data. It also draws on the results of surveys that question those who use and do not use its programs. In the future, IRCC will be able to use Statistics Canada data to analyze causation between settlement and integration programs and their affect on income. Kiziltan noted that the department conducts extensive macro evaluations of the settlement program, which always lead to the formulation of new questions on the program s effectiveness. Boakye concurred with Kiziltan and others that we need to understand the conditions for success to fully assess settlement outcomes. He identified the need to rethink the metrics of evaluation and use a more holistic approach that considers the perspectives of immigrants and explores the relationship between newcomers and the community. This would mark an improvement in the historical tendency to measure success based on the number of immigrants that a settlement Find Conference Board research at 18

29 Le Conference Board du Canada. Tous droits réservés. Veuillez communiquer avec cboc.ca/ip si vous avez des questions au sujet de l'utilisation de ce document. The Conference Board of Canada organization serves. Boakye also explained that immigrants have different ways of conceptualizing their identities and understanding how to evaluate this will help develop programs that foster stronger bonds between newcomers and their communities. He suggested that working more closely with newcomers and compiling their experiences can help to develop more metrics to evaluate success. Making an Impact Canada s Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program turns 40 this year. Jim Estill of Danby Appliances shared the reasons behind his decision to use the program to help 61 Syrian refugee families move to Guelph, Ontario in addition to another 200 families that have arrived through his support network. He said that he was driven by the desire to help those in need. Some 800 volunteers work together to support the settlement and integration of Syrians. The volunteers operate like a business, with directors appointed in various areas (e.g., finance, housing) who monitor the progress of each family in integrating into Canadian society. Estill and the volunteers have leveraged existing resources within the community, such as the Salvation Army to provide families with clothing, Hope House to provide furniture, and settlement organizations to provide language instruction. Each family has an Arabic-speaking mentor and four to five Englishspeaking families that assist them. The mentors are given a checklist of responsibilities such as helping Syrians open bank accounts and assess how the Syrians are faring in areas such as English proficiency and health. Estill s definition of success is that the Syrians find work, improve their English, integrate into society, and become self-sufficient. One of the challenges is ensuring that volunteers do not provide too much assistance to the Syrians, since this will compromise the ability of the newcomers to become self-sufficient, and so he has difficult conversations with them about playing a more hands-off role. While some of the Syrians have been successful in finding work commensurate with their skills, others have not, though he noted that there are also segments of the Canadian-born population who are underemployed. Find Conference Board research at 19

30 Strengthening Canada s Immigration System One of Canada s longstanding immigration challenges has been to ensure fair access to regulated professions. Estill responded to numerous audience questions about this initiative. He said that all volunteers were assessed for their cultural competency and also required criminal background checks. He observed that some of the Syrians are entrepreneurial, but he believes that it is best for them to improve their English skills and understand Canada s business environment and culture before launching a business. There are a number of ways Syrians are learning English in the community, such as through in-class instruction, on-the-job training, television, smartphone apps, and social groups. Employers also offer flexible work arrangements to allow students to access language-training opportunities. When asked about the community s response to his initiative, Estill said that most in Guelph were supportive, although he has experienced some negativity such as death threats and boycotts of Danby Appliances. He noted, however, that historically communities have not always been welcoming toward refugees at the outset. The advantage of conducting this initiative in a small city like Guelph is that it has a more intimate atmosphere, with key stakeholders such as Christian, Jewish, and Muslim groups organizing frequent communal events like potlucks. In addition, housing affordability in Guelph makes it easier for Syrians to settle and integrate compared with those who face a higher cost of living in large cities like Toronto. When asked whether he has challenged fellow entrepreneurs to help refugees, Estill said that his goal has been to inspire the business community to do the right thing. Improving Access to Regulated Professions One of Canada s longstanding immigration challenges has been to ensure fair access to regulated professions. Generally, skilled immigrants seeking to enter regulated professions have faced onerous credentialing requirements that hinder their ability to pursue in Canada the profession for which they have been trained overseas. This challenge Find Conference Board research at 20

31 Le Conference Board du Canada. Tous droits réservés. Veuillez communiquer avec cboc.ca/ip si vous avez des questions au sujet de l'utilisation de ce document. The Conference Board of Canada was highlighted in the federal government s White Paper on Immigration in 1966; regrettably, the passage below is as applicable today as it was 52 years ago: Some professional associations, trade unions and provincial licensing authorities are not as ready as they might be to recognize qualifications earned in another country. Consequently some immigrants are not able to follow their own occupation on arrival here and must accept alternative employment at least until they are able to meet the applicable Canadian standards It must be hoped that this problem will be overcome as the leaders of public opinion come to recognize the economic advantage of more mobility, particularly among professional people and skilled workers, both nationally and internationally. 11 Keith Johnson of Keith Johnson Consulting and Ximena Munoz, Manitoba s Fairness Commissioner, explored how these challenges could be addressed. One notable measure has been the implementation of fairness acts in Ontario, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Quebec since The acts have established provincial fairness commissioner offices that promote procedural fairness by auditing regulatory bodies and suggesting improvements so that the practices governing registration in regulated professions are transparent, objective, impartial, and fair. 12 Munoz also stressed the importance of relational fairness, that is, that the treatment, decision-making process, and outcomes of the credentialing process are perceived as fair by applicants. Thirdly, there is the concept of substantive fairness: only competent applicants are certified or licensed to practise in their field in Canada. Johnson explained that while regulatory bodies exist to protect the Canadian public, achieving this objective while also ensuring fair licensing practices is difficult to reconcile for several reasons. For example, regulatory bodies cannot simply assume that foreign 11 Government of Canada, White Paper on Immigration. 12 Grant, Brain Gain Find Conference Board research at 21

32 Strengthening Canada s Immigration System National standards among regulators would improve fairness and address inconsistencies in how immigrant professionals seeking accreditation are treated. education and work experience conform to Canadian standards and also find it difficult to assess soft skills (e.g., communication skills) fairly. Moreover, it can be expensive for them to assess the competence of immigrants. Regulatory bodies are correctly more interested in an immigrant s aptitude for working in the field rather than what they studied, but as such, competency-based assessments are more expensive than assessing whether an individual achieved the requisite education abroad to practise in Canada. Thus, he argues that some regulators and jurisdictions do not have the financial means to ensure fair standards. Johnson raised several questions and issues to help guide improvements. We need to think about how we can ensure the effectiveness of fairness commissioners: Should they be mandated with auditing regulators and monitoring compliance or should they serve in a more advisory function to help regulators adopt good practices? He said that a move toward national standards among regulators would improve fairness across Canada compared with the current approach where regulators of the same professions have different rules and laws governing them within their respective jurisdiction which results in inconsistencies in how immigrant professionals are treated when seeking accreditation. Johnson suggested that each regulatory body alliance allocate some $150,000 per year toward having a permanent employee who is responsible for overseeing the implementation of national assessment standards within their profession. Moreover, he believes that alliances should have reserve funds that support ongoing revisions to their national standards. Munoz noted that fairness acts have facilitated progress. For instance, on the procedural fairness front, changes have been made to the criminal record background requirements that regulators had asked for in the past. Such requirements were unfair to immigrants since they required a criminal background check to enter Canada; asking them to complete it again was unnecessary and delayed that credentialing process. She acknowledged, however, that significant concerns remain. For example, 44 per cent of those who seek credentialing in Manitoba are denied five years after going through the regulatory process; this is problematic because, ideally, those who are not fit to practise in their field of choice in Canada would recognize this much earlier on in the Find Conference Board research at 22

33 Le Conference Board du Canada. Tous droits réservés. Veuillez communiquer avec cboc.ca/ip si vous avez des questions au sujet de l'utilisation de ce document. The Conference Board of Canada credentialing process (e.g., within the first year of beginning the process). There also needs to be greater recognition of foreign work experience and more opportunities for immigrants to apply their skills and knowledge in practical work settings supervised by accredited professionals. Additionally, she said that licensing regimes could be adjusted to provide work opportunities for those who might not necessarily meet all the requirements of the licensing process, but who are nonetheless qualified to work in a related occupation. She also highlighted international practices that could be useful in the Canadian context. In the United Kingdom, government funds regulatory bodies, whereas in Canada the bodies self-regulate, which creates fairness challenges since it is difficult for those on the outside to pressure them to make their standards fairer. As another example, she pointed to the Lisbon Recognition Convention, which stipulates that foreign qualifications must be accepted by employers and regulators unless they can prove that there is a reason not to accept them. Social Innovations to Boost Economic Integration Three Summit speakers were invited to share innovative practices within their communities that support the economic integration of newcomers. Alex LeBlanc of the New Brunswick Multicultural Council (NBMC) noted the challenge newcomers face in building networks within the province, given New Brunswick s small immigrant population. Hence, NBMC is collaborating with stakeholders in the province on an Economic Integration Lab to help address common newcomer challenges such as building networks and attaching to the labour market. Stakeholders from across sectors gather in teams, explore the key problems, and come up with solutions. A major benefit of the Lab is that it encourages civil servants, settlement organizations, employers, and other members of the community to identify creative and collaborative solutions to real world issues. More information, including a summary report of recent meetings, can be found on the Lab s website Economic Integration Lab, Welcome to the Lab. Find Conference Board research at 23

34 Strengthening Canada s Immigration System Only about 12 per cent of newcomers to the U.S. arrive under employmentbased paths; most come under the family class. Mark Patterson of Magnet at Ryerson University a non-profit organization that focuses on eradicating youth and newcomer unemployment and underemployment discussed Magnet s philosophy in helping attach newcomers to the labour market: grow the community, grow careers, and grow business. Magnet provides partners with technology to link them with local talent, including newcomers; has developed an assessment tool that evaluates labour shortages and assesses newcomers to see how they can fill job gaps; and helps match employers with talent who they can train to help meet their workforce needs. He emphasized that Magnet focuses on the competency of talent rather than on educational credentials. Paul Feltman of World Education Services (WES) in New York City attended the Summit to share WES s efforts to support the economic integration of newcomers in the United States. Specifically, he discussed the IMPRINT (Immigrant Professional Integration) project. 14 The project is a coalition hosted by WES that comprises business, government, higher education, and other partners who work together to raise awareness of the talents and contributions of immigrant professionals. The project sponsors research, disseminates best practices, and advocates for the adoption of policies that facilitate immigrant professional integration. Feltman observed that unlike in Canada, where most immigrants enter under the economic class, only about 12 per cent of newcomers to the U.S. arrive under employment-based paths; most come under the family class. In 2016, the U.S. had about 43 million immigrants and unlike Canada, it does not have a developed immigrant settlement sector. Of the 7.6 million immigrants with post-secondary credentials, about one-quarter (1.9 million people) are underemployed or unemployed, which results in some $39.4 billion in forgone earnings and $10.2 billion in forgone taxes annually. 15 According to IMPRINT s website, there are some 87 programs across the U.S. that aim to help skilled immigrants find jobs commensurate with their skills. The Michigan Office for New Americans, for instance, has a website with 42 occupational licensing guides and offers free job research training and coaching for newcomers. 14 Imprint Project, Imprint. 15 Batalova, Fix, and Bachmeier, Untapped Talent. Find Conference Board research at 24

35 Le Conference Board du Canada. Tous droits réservés. Veuillez communiquer avec cboc.ca/ip si vous avez des questions au sujet de l'utilisation de ce document. The Conference Board of Canada The City of Philadelphia offers a 12-week paid Immigrant Fellowship Program to provide professional newcomers with practical U.S. work experience and mentorship. Another of the numerous examples Feltman raised was the Welcome Back Center at LaGuardia Community College. The program, which costs about $8,000 to $10,000 per student, helps to train and prepare immigrant nurses for work in the U.S. and has contributed to an average increase of 120 to 150 per cent in the wages of successful graduates. U.S. Immigration During the Trump Administration Theresa Cardinal Brown of the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C., attended the Summit to provide an overview of the most recent immigration policy developments in her country. She highlighted divisions among and within the major political parties as having laid the foundations for President Donald Trump s populist immigration policies. She flagged the disconnect between present realities and past trends as another reason for anti-immigrant sentiments in the United States. By way of illustration, she noted that although there has been a decline in Mexican migration to the U.S., there remains a perception that undocumented migrants continue to arrive in the U.S. from Mexico in large numbers. She argued that President Trump is in a unique position to create meaningful reform, as he has more political capital to tackle this area than some of his Republican colleagues. However, she believes that reform is unlikely on the NAFTA front, saying that the U.S. does not appear interested in negotiating the free trade agreement s labour mobility provisions. Nor does she expect reforms to the Safe Third Country Agreement, because far more undocumented migrants flow into the U.S. from the south than flow into Canada from the U.S.; thus, Canada s concerns do not figure prominently in U.S. policy. Nonetheless, while anti-immigrant sentiment in the U.S. could pose Find Conference Board research at 25

36 Strengthening Canada s Immigration System The UN views migration as a means to promote development, as remittances help to reduce inequalities between countries. challenges for Canada in the area of rising asylum claims, it could help Canada in another area. Brown believes that Canadian business is well positioned to capitalize on the potential emigration of skilled talent from the United States. She also noted the fall of international student enrolments in the U.S., which could be to Canada s benefit. A decline in her country s attractiveness to global talent worries economists, said Brown, as it could hurt economic growth. Discussing the future of immigration under President Trump, she argued that most Americans do not care much about the immigration system, but they want a system that is transparent, fair, and strict. She concluded by highlighting the good work Canada does in facilitating open conversations on immigration policy, which, she said, is an example the U.S. should follow. The Global Compact for Migration Louise Arbour delivered a keynote address highlighting her mandate as the United Nations Special Representative for International Migration. Arbour is currently contributing to negotiations on the global compact for safe, orderly, and regular migration, an intergovernmental negotiated agreement that aims to tackle today s major migration challenges around the world. She explained that the United Nations General Assembly will host a conference in December 2018 to try and adopt the global compact. Among the challenges are the fact that there are some 258 million migrants in the world today according to the UN, and the population is expected to grow. Of these migrants, some 65 million are internally displaced persons and refugees. Arbour noted the importance of migration in supporting development in other countries; migrants spend about 85 per cent of their income in their host country and remit about 15 per cent $460 billion to developing countries, which is more than global development assistance. The UN views migration as a means to promote development, as remittances help to reduce inequalities between countries. She highlighted that development initiatives have improved living standards around the world; for instance, efforts to reduce infant mortality in Africa have contributed to an increase in the working-age population, which benefits the continent s economy. Find Conference Board research at 26

37 Le Conference Board du Canada. Tous droits réservés. Veuillez communiquer avec cboc.ca/ip si vous avez des questions au sujet de l'utilisation de ce document. The Conference Board of Canada Moreover, viewing migration through a development lens can do the same, and she stressed that it is incumbent upon countries to do just that, by, for instance, creating more legal immigration pathways. One reason for this is that an illegal migrant may have initially entered a country legally but have overstayed their temporary visa through no fault of their own (e.g., because a war or humanitarian crisis has emerged in their country of origin). A major benefit of creating more legal immigration pathways is that they will facilitate safer and more orderly migration, since when given the choice, an individual is more likely to choose legal and safe migration. Louise Arbour highlights the importance of the global compact for migration. > Source: The Conference Board of Canada. Conclusion The Canadian Immigration Summit 2018 featured a variety of perspectives on pressing immigration issues affecting Canada, the United States, and the world. As numerous speakers noted, one of the most unique features of Canada s immigration system today is the willingness of stakeholders to openly explore how the country can benefit from more global talent at a time when other countries are Find Conference Board research at 27