As Ottawa unveils its immigration plan for 2024-26 this week, immigration experts say more resources are needed to help new permanent residents settle into life in Canada.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced Wednesday that Canada will not cut immigration levels and plans to hold its target of annual newcomers steady at 500,00 people starting in 2026.
“I was a little bit surprised that they didn’t reduce the numbers given the discourse that’s been going on in the public about too many immigrants coming, but I think it also speaks to the need that we have for newcomers to come here for all kinds of reasons,” Lori Wilkinson, a professor in the department of sociology and criminology at the University of Manitoba, told Global News.
Wilkinson noted the importance of immigration for not only labour shortage reasons but also population numbers, with an aging population and lowering fertility rates in Canada.
Canada’s latest immigration plan maintains previously set targets of welcoming 485,000 new permanent residents in 2024, 500,000 new permanent residents in 2025 and another 500,000 in 2026.
Wilkinson says more resources are needed to support newcomers in Canada.
“We have to start thinking about how we welcome newcomers into society, because there’s a lot of research that shows your first few years experience in Canada predicts how well you will integrate in all aspects of life — in schooling, your kids, in your job, in the community,” she said.
“So if you don’t have a good two or three first years, it’s going to be difficult for you.”
The lack of resources is particularly evident when it comes to delays in accessing English language assessments and training, she says.
“There is a long-term backlog in the number of people who need English language classes, not only in Winnipeg but across Canada, and that number has exceeded what the language providers can actually provide,” Wilkinson said, adding that enhanced English training spaces are especially needed for professionals.
“This has been a problem for many decades,” Wilkinson added. “You get points for being in a profession to come to Canada, and then you come to Canada and you can’t practise in that profession. And for many people, that is so demoralizing.”
High demand for enhanced English program in Manitoba
Anastasiia Malashonok came to Canada from Kyiv, Ukraine about 11 months ago. She is currently taking the Enhanced English Skills for Employment (EESE) program in Winnipeg.
“To be honest, there are two different (versions of) me: before I took the EESE course and now,” Malashonok told Global News.
Malashonok says in Ukraine, she was working as an assistant in sales and marketing in the real estate industry. After she completes this program, she hopes to get her real estate licence in Manitoba and start working in the industry.
But outside of employment opportunities, Malashonok says the EESE program offers so much more.
“In any services I could make an appointment, I could go to the doctor, I could speak with teachers of my daughter, Sofia,” she said.
“In every way, life became easier for me.”
It’s a sentiment shared by many of her classmates.
“When we arrive in a new country, it is really important to know how to express yourself, because communication is key,” said Brigitte Traore, who moved to Canada from Burkina Faso about six months ago.
“This is not just about learning how to speak English, it is also about learning Canadian culture, because your sentence can be grammatically correct, but politically incorrect.”
Yuri Vynohradov moved to Canada from Ukraine eight months ago. He is currently working as a line cook in a fine-dining restaurant in Winnipeg. He is also in the EESE program.
“At first it was confusing, we were all like deer in headlights,” Vynohradov said.
“But now everything comes in like a puzzle, every piece on top of each other. It’s really helpful. This is like the final piece of the puzzle that comes in handy for us.”
Louise Giesbrecht, the executive director of Enhanced English Skills for Employment, says she sees significant improvements in the students throughout the three-month program.
“Some students are doing job interviews and they’re doing well in them, going into those interviews with confidence and getting those jobs, they’re getting promoted in their jobs, they’re able to speak to neighbours and interact, making friends more easily, they’re able to advocate for their children in schools,” she said.
“So there’s a lot of things that change, and it’s quite holistic. It’s not just towards our employment, though that’s kind of our focus.”
Giesbrecht says 96 per cent of EESE students have some form of post-secondary education, including 15 per cent with a college diploma, 39 per cent with a bachelor’s degree, 35 per cent with a master’s degree and eight per cent with a PhD.
“There’s a great deal of demand, we have wait-lists that are up to six months long,” Giesbrecht said.
“What we are funded for right now is for about 150 seats for 10 weeks, and we have 300 people waiting for those next courses for our classes that begin in November, so it’s woefully inadequate.”
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