Written by Malak E. , Edited by Pranav C.
Home, a word often interpreted as a place where comfort, family, and prosperity are found. For many immigrants, sacrificing their career prosperity to immigrate to Canada is an inevitable decision that could be eliminated with Ontario’s proposed bill to remove the Canadian work experience barrier. For many years, immigrants benefited from the opportunities presented to them outside of the work setting, where they have faced and continue to face an immense amount of discrimination. With the proposed bill, the workplace could look like a safer and more welcoming environment, where a diversity of opinions, strengths, and education can be fostered. Although many immigrants had to fight to achieve the status that they originally obtained in their home countries, this bill could drastically change the unemployment rate, quality of life, and be a key to the door placed in front of them on their journey to success.
On October 21st, 2021, Labour Minister Monte McNaughton announced that the government intends to impose legislation that would help disseminate barriers facing immigrants in the workforce. This bill would eliminate Canadian work experience certification requirements, reduce the unnecessary frequency of official language testing, create efficient registration procedures, and provide required training in a timely manner. As the pandemic dwindles down, the effects it has had on the Canadian economy have begun to appear at a rapid rate. According to a survey conducted by Statistics Canada, 55% of entrepreneurs can't find enough workers, leading to delays, and limiting growth. To compromise the pandemic’s effects on the economy, the government wants to ensure that the 33% of immigrants in the labour force are positioned and hired in places that fit their expertise. Many immigrants who are qualified to work in their chosen career paths would not have to undergo the same grueling certification that would deem them qualified enough and equip them with the “Canadian” experience required. However, trained workers in the health-care sector would be exempted from this bill as they would have to undergo further health and safety training to ensure that Canadian public health requirements are met. Introducing this bill would ensure that professionals in fields such as law, accounting, architecture, engineering, electrical and plumbing face fewer barriers to implement their thinking, and understanding of their jobs, as well as contribute to Canadian social and economic prosperity.
For new immigrants, life in Canada can be glorified due to the set rules and regulations that protect human rights and freedoms, but many do not realize that the lack of the rules protecting immigrant workers’ rights have continued to place systemic barriers on them as they face the pressure to provide the basic necessities for their families. To begin with, it is especially important to recognize that discrimination, as unfortunate as it is, is sadly an inevitable truth for many immigrants despite the plethora of laws and regulations that prohibit it. Policies like the Policy on Removing the “Canadian experience” barrier codified in the Ontario Human Rights Code since 2013, continue to be present in the Canadian law system, but appear to be dormant in many cases. The unemployment rate of immigrants in the working age has tripled to 10.92% compared to pre-pandemic Canada’s unemployment rate of about 4%. Moreover, the proposed bill would re-inforce the 2013 Ontario Human Rights Code Policy that intends to: “recognize the inherent dignity and worth of every person and to provide for equal rights and opportunities without discrimination. The Code aims to create a climate of understanding and mutual respect, so that each person feels that they belong in the community and can contribute to it.” In addition to the Canadian experience barrier, discrimination against immigrants who are not fluent in English continues to be prevalent to this day. According to a study conducted by the University of British Columbia, the employer callback rate in the Greater Toronto Area for English-named applicants with Canadian education and experience was 16% compared to just 5% for candidates who had Chinese, Indian or Pakistani names as well as foreign education and experience. Although these daunting statistics continue to be present in today’s society, changes are being made to ensure that laws are enforced and immigrants can use their skills to contribute to Canadian society.
Although the proposed bill would impose many great benefits on society, it can leave room for manipulation of the wages and rights of non-Canadian citizens. The fundamental rights and freedoms of immigrants could be put at risk if workers who are not Canadian citizens are hired at less wages. A similar situation where this takes place is in America where undocumented farm workers make up approximately 50% of the farm labor workforce. Despite being employed in America, they are not protected by U.S. labor laws, leaving room for employers to decide on a “fitting” minimum wage that could be well below what American citizens earn.
Over the past years, important events like the global pandemic, have defined our generation’s experiences causing political figures to take action and try to dismantle systemic barriers placed upon minorities, as seen in the new proposed bill. Many of these changes were called to action by the pandemic’s effects and the urgency to stabilize the Canadian economy, and others were pushed by the obvious inequalities present in the statistics shown in the workforce. For immigrants, the fear of failure surfaces frequently in the whirlpool of emotions they feel as they step off the plane. However, this new bill could help reduce their feeling of fear and provide a sense of security in Canada, the place they now call home.
Works Cited
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