CGW4U
World Issues: A Geographic Analysis
Unit 4: Environmental Sustainability
Activity 3: What’s the right number of refugees and immigrants to ‘let in’?
Consider the question in the image to the left.
Did you answer that question with the name of your community? Many people would.
What about your nationality? Are you Canadian? 100% Canadian? Were both of your birth parents born here? What about your grandparents?
We think we know where we are from but do we have the full picture?
Ye are all fruits of one tree, the leaves of one branch, the flowers of one garden.
Careers related to immigration
Diversity has played an important role in Canada’s formative history. Today, Canada boasts the highest percentage of foreign-born citizens than any other G8 country. In 2012, Canada welcomed a record number of immigrants for its seventh consecutive year, with 257,515 newcomers entering the country. In opening its doors to immigration, Canada has created a society of mixed languages, cultures and religions.
But the impact of immigration goes further than a new cultural diversity in the receiving country. Globalization is stimulating migration (or perhaps it is the other way around). Immigrants’ contribution to the economy are always cited as reasons for keeping the door open for newcomers. The argument goes that, rather than being a drain on the economy, immigration stimulates the economy.
In the global economy, each country that encourages immigration is of course working to entice the best and the brightest in any field to come their way. Immigrants then must select the nation that best suits them. One way to be more attractive to immigrants is to consider how they are treated when they arrive. You’ve heard the analogies of the USA being a melting pot and Canada is a tossed salad. Many in Canada believe that we should integrate newcomers while respecting differences. This may be a reason we see more temporary workers proportionately in the USA than here. Interdependence is key to building integrated multicultural communities and countries.
Yet, some immigrants come into Canada to find that their credentials or professional licences are not recognized, leaving them in vulnerable low wage jobs. Issues arise as they need an income and returning to school is not a viable option. Canadian government programs may provide some relief, but opponents of immigration use this as a reason to reduce the numbers of immigrants year over year.
There are more migrants than ever before. Some 300 million people are sharing ideas, products, technology and cultures around the world.
Openness to immigration is a hallmark of dynamic, successful societies. Specifically, a society open to immigration becomes connected to other regions of the world through links to other markets and the knowledge and networks the immigrants bring with them. Their desire for goods from their home markets creates a more varied market for all consumers. The consequence is a positive impact on trade for Canadians.
What examples can you think of that support this observation?
Beyond trade opportunities, immigrants arrive with skills and knowledge that can only add to the local community. Their knowledge of social media and news outlets will also build new cultural and trade connections that will benefit more than just themselves.
Is it naive to suggest that all aspects of an open immigration policy and practice are positive? Read these opposing viewpoints. If you want to visit any links in the following pdfs, right click and select "Open Link in New Tab" to avoid leaving this page.
Immigration - Pros and Cons
Write a response to the reviewed articles that answers the following question.
Where do you stand on immigration? In favour, opposed or in between?
- Select and organize data and information from this activity using the Pros vs. Cons Template and include any research you feel is necessary to build your response to your answer (Cornell or other organized research notes).
- Interpret and analyse this research into your answer to the question.
- If you are undecided consider the following questions to refine your thinking:
- Are there enough benefits for a country to open its doors to immigrants?
- What difficulties and tensions might also arise as a result of immigration?
- How does the arrival of immigrants from other countries affect the culture and economy of the country that receives them?
- Write your response (approximately 500-600 words).
H.O.T. Topic - Survival Package
Scenario
The government of Canada settled 25,000 government-sponsored Syrian refugees in Canada in a very short period of time ending in February, 2017. Often, these people were forced to leave their homes with little more than the clothes they were wearing. Design a Survival Package for a refugee arriving to Canada from a war-torn country. Your package should include essential items that Canada will furnish under each of the following categories:
- Immediate Needs (First Days - 10 items).
- Short-Term Needs (Weeks - 10 items).
- Intermediate Needs (Months - 10 items).
Social Action?
Who can you contact to learn the actual amount spent by the Canadian government for the sponsorship of refugees in 2017?
Over time, rates of immigration ebb and flow. For countries like Canada we have had periods of great immigration interspersed with periods of lower levels of immigration. It is important therefore that government policies are reviewed regularly to ensure they reflect the needs and wishes of the country.
The Canadian Immigration Newsletter states that there are over 60 ways immigrants can make Canada their permanent home. A quick glance of the articles in this newsletter shows the intent of the current government to maintain or push further open, our door to new immigrants. This raises the question: How will government immigration policies alter the future of Canada?
Read this one view about the future of Canada and our immigration policy and practice. If you want to visit any links in the following pdf, right click and select "Open Link in New Tab" to avoid leaving this page.
Issues Café: Types of Immigrants
Think about the information in the article and infographic above.
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Why do countries regularly review their limits on different types of immigration? NOTE: In Canada there are four main categories of immigrants:
- Family class: closely related persons of Canadian residents living in Canada.
- Economic immigrants: skilled workers and business people.
- Other: people accepted as immigrants for humanitarian or compassionate reasons.
- Refugees: people who are escaping persecution, torture or cruel and unusual punishment.
Consider the following:
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What reasons might Canada have had to impose limits on different immigration categories in the past?
- Should the category of immigrant that is 'preferred' by Canada change over time? Why or why not?
- Which of Canada’s current immigration categories do you predict will become more contentious as a result of globalization? Why?
Types of Refugees
Today the refugee category of immigrant is most widely discussed in Canada. According to the Canadian Ministry of Immigration and Citizenship, there are two types of refugees.
1. Convention refugee
Convention refugees are people who are outside their home country or the country where they normally live, and who are unwilling to return because of a well-founded fear of persecution based on:
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race;
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religion;
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political opinion;
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nationality; or
- membership in a particular social group, such as women or people of a particular sexual orientation.
2. Person in need of protection
A person in need of protection is a person in Canada whose removal to their home country or country where they normally live would subject them personally to:
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a danger of torture;
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a risk to their life; or
- a risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment.
There are many heart wrenching stories of refugees fleeing untold misery in Syria only to die, as Alan Kurdî', his brother and mother did, during their escape to safety in a new homeland. Alan Kurdî' was a three-year-old Syrian boy whose image made global headlines after he drowned on 2 September 2015 in the Mediterranean Sea. He and his family were Syrian refugees trying to reach Europe. Because Kurdî's family had reportedly been trying to reach Canada, his death and the wider refugee crisis immediately became an issue in the 2015 Canadian federal election.
The responses to Syrian refugees varied enormously from full acceptance to utter opposition; there is no uniformity. Each country is deciding for itself what to contribute to the Syrian crisis.
Read about the responses of some European countries. If you want to visit any links in the following pdf, right click and select "Open Link in New Tab" to avoid leaving this page.
Also read the International Organization for Migration (IOM) report How the World Views Migration. If you want to visit any links in the following pdf, right click and select "Open Link in New Tab" to avoid leaving this page.
The question for Canada is about our response. What immigration/refugee policy do the people of Canada support?
Mass Resettlement Opinion
One of the most common skills any student of complex issues needs to develop is the art of debate, where the goal is to listen carefully and respond to (and refute) the points raised by your opponent. You are going to watch a debate, but before you do, solidify and record your own opinion on whether you agree or disagree with this statement: “Mass resettlement to Canada is the best thing for the country, and the best thing for Syrian refugees”
You may feel that you strongly agree or disagree, or you may not have a strong opinion.
If you are uncertain, it may be because you do not feel that you have enough information about the question being debated. If the debaters construct their arguments successfully you may be more comfortable taking a side after the debate.
The Middle East
Public Domain
Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party of Canada, in her opening remarks provides a summary of the events that brought about the civil war in Syria.
Before watching the debate see if you have a comfortable grasp of the vocabulary she uses in her summary by playing this vocabulary interactive. Match the term with the definition. Drag the term onto its correct definition.
If this was new information for you, be sure to take the time to pause the debate and look up the terms or people May references so that you can follow along with her argument. You can begin the debate at 5:30 minutes. This skips through the introductions. Watch until 55:55 minutes (after the rebuttals but before the question period). You can of course continue to watch the question and answers after the debate.
The Refugee Question
Describe where you stood on the debate (“Mass resettlement to Canada is the best thing for the country, and the best thing for Syrian refugees”) both before and after the debate. Citing information from the debate, explain why you have drawn the conclusion you have.
Canadian Immigration Policy
Thinking back on all parts of this activity, what recommendation would you make to the government of Canada with regards to the percent of immigrants in each of the 4 categories. Create a short photo essay that explains your decision.
The goal of a photo essay is that the images you have selected convey just as much information as the words you use. In this case, you will have 5 images, and only 100 words (a firm limit) to compliment each image in order to make your point. You may choose to construct this in a traditional document, or in a presentation format.
Remember to cite the sources for your images.
Introduction
Learning Goals
Learning Skills
Rubric 1