ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ali, A. (2010). Exploring the Immigrant Experience through Self-Silencing Theory and the Full-Frame Approach: The Case of Caribbean Immigrant Women in Canada and the United States. Silencing the Self Across Cultures, 227-240. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195398090.003.0011
The article explores the experience that is presented to the immigrants in the labor market due to poor structural policies in the immigration department. In the view of the author, the encounter of immigrants in the labor industry has been a mixture of good and bad experiences depending on the levels of expertise. The author points to the increasing admission of immigrants into the Canadian territories as the reason for the influx of workforce in the labor industry thus leading to massive unemployment. The author asserts that the country is doing little to ensure that proper employment strategies are adapted to suit every immigrant in Canada. However, the employment gap between the Canadian-born citizens and immigrants is still a worry to many immigrants. The author cites demand for high professionalism in the labor market makes it difficult to for many immigrants to be employed.
Dlamini, N., Anucha, U., & Wolfe, B. (2012). Negotiated Positions: Immigrant Women's Views and Experiences of Employment in Canada. Affiliate. doi:10.1177/0886109912464479
In the view of the authors, women immigrants are often many and constitutes a fair population of immigrants in Canada. However, the encounter in the job market is a leeway to hopelessness. The authors assert that women immigrants are often faced with immeasurable nightmares in the labor market as the majority can hardly match the high skill demanding industry. In their opinion, there is a growing disparity between the female and male immigrants in the country that requires radical labor policy alterations. The authors further assert that there is need to consider the low education levels of women immigrants and give them their fair share to contribute to the economic process.
Girard, M., & Smith, M. (2012). Working In a Regulated Occupation in Canada: An Immigrant–Native Born Comparison. Int. Migration & Integration Journal of International Migration and Integration. doi:10.1007/s12134-012-0237-5
According to the authors, there is a regulated occupation environment in the Canadian labor industry that creates the growing disparity between native and immigrants in the same industry. In their view, the labor market has placed high stakes on high professional skills and understanding of the language in the industry. As a result, it locks many potential workforces of immigrants out of jobs thus rendering them unemployed. The authors assert that controlling the occupations in the job market makes it difficult to integrate immigrants into the industry is complicated by the laws that keep making it difficult to absorb people with moderate skills. They further argue that the industry has contributed to the high number of professional immigrants who now have to resort to petty errands to sustain the hard life. Many are working as security guards and waiters among other jobs.
POLICY BRIEF
RE: Immigrant Admission Policy
Concerning the subject, there are numerous concerns regarding the issue of immigrants and the growing disparities in the labor market. While building the economy remains a core objective of the government, it is essential that every member of the society finds a role to play in the nation building. An economy flooded with unemployment will eventually become retrogressive, and lag in development. Though Canada boasts as one of the highest immigrant admissions rates in the world, the policy on admission has contributed massively to the problems experienced by immigrants in the country. Some might argue that the labor market needs to restructure, however, the labor market is only a victim of transferred responsibility that ought to start at the immigration. The current policy has its general benefits that serve better the long term goals of the government and the dream of every Canadian for a prosperous economy. The policy has benefited the country by making it easy to admit high qualified professionals. These professionals have contributed to the economy through innovations and workforce endeavors that directly helps in building the nation.
However, the major concern is the dream of these immigrants. There is uncontestable fact that rising challenges in other parts of the world make it necessary for people to move in pursuit of better life. The wars in the Middle East have led to growing number of refugees who come to Canada hoping for better life. The dream of living better does not seem to hold once they are admitted. The realities of high demands in the labor markets and some form of discrimination on grounds of education level and language proficiency don. These concerns make it difficult to accommodate the hopeless people who arrive in Canada hoping for promising futures. Soon, the professionals and those with degree-level education start facing a tough life where they are underemployed or totally unemployed. It creates another shell of despair to them thus killing their dreams. Additionally, the growing gaps in earnings and job employment between the natives and the immigrants. The problems start from the point of admission in which priority of entry to Canada rests with bilingualism, youthfulness, and high-skills. Well, it might serve the interest of the country well, but, it is a flawed policy regarding human rights. The policy encourages immigration of only certain section of the society to Canada thus leaving people who fail to meet such requirements frustrated and feeling rejected. They find it hard to gain entry into the country despite their levels of need. Even when they are offered entry, they still face problems of integration. Therefore, there is dire need to consider the following recommendations.
Recommendations
Review the immigration entry laws to give equal chances to every potential immigrant regardless of their academic achievement.
Streamline the labor laws to absorb every immigrant with potential by restructuring the employment requirements from bilingualism, and high-skills to more accommodating requirements that offer similar opportunities.
Canada’s international obligations on human rights should be the basis for admission rather than economic motivation.
The refugee and immigration policies should be amended to incorporate protection of immigrant in the job market as well as in the country.
The employment barriers should be removed to help take advantage of the economic potentials of the immigrants in full employment.
References
Ali, A. (2010). Exploring the Immigrant Experience through Self-Silencing Theory and the Full-Frame Approach: The Case of Caribbean Immigrant Women in Canada and the United States. Silencing the Self Across Cultures, 227-240. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195398090.003.0011
Dlamini, N., Anucha, U., & Wolfe, B. (2012). Negotiated Positions: Immigrant Women's Views and Experiences of Employment in Canada. Affilia. doi:10.1177/0886109912464479
Girard, M., & Smith, M. (2012). Working In a Regulated Occupation in Canada: An Immigrant–Native Born Comparison. Int. Migration & Integration Journal of International Migration and Integration. doi:10.1007/s12134-012-0237-5
