Immigrants to Canada cry foul

I came across an interesting article in the Georgia Straight, a weekly newspaper in Vancouver, about the plight of educated and skilled immigrants to Canada. A topic which probably strikes a cord with many immigrants of seafaring backgrounds. Of whom, many have settled in Vancouver, and which, I understand, have some misgivings about their current situations versus what they were experiencing before coming to Canada.

Canada seems to be suffering what many other countries in Europe are facing; a huge influx of immigrants into their fold, and not neccessarily the poorest or uneducated ones either. On one hand immigrations has to be encouraged to ensure the future of the country because of the low birth rates among “natives”, and on the other hand, there is allot of practical and psychological barriers to overcome in welcoming new faces. Not to mention that yes, higher salaries exist in Canada, but so does the cost of living and taxes – sometimes overlooked by the positive and rosy “the grass is greener over there” attitude.

Personally, I think that people need to be challenged, and should aspire to explore their environment. Positive and generally optimistic people are usually the ones taking the risks, but they should be realistic about expectations. I think it is a timely article, which highlights the need to be aware of our own goals as individual and compare them to what is achievable, not just what is imagined or marketed.

Read the full article here.