Immigration trend in reverse: Asia down, Europe up
Is the current government really receptive to new immigrants in the way they present to us?
New stats obtained by Ming Pao shows an emerging, peculiar trend of immigrant landings since the Tories took office in 2006.
First of all, for at least the last 25 years, Citizenship and Immigration Canada has been very transparent in publishing immigration stats. Detailed breakdowns on numbers – such as source countries, destinations, types of immigrants etc – have always been in the public domain. Even in the first year of the Tory government under the then CIC minister Monte Solberg, stats were still as transparent. But for the 2007 data published in summer 2008, the amount of data published online and ready for public scrutiny has dropped significantly. For the first time, there is no source country data. We have to go all the way to Ottawa to request for it.
TABLE 1: Top ten source countries
[TABLE=4]
TABLE 2: Comparison of major Asian and European countries, US
[TABLE=3]
OK, back to the data.
A clear trend has developed since 2006. Asian countries such as China and India have dominated the main sources of immigrants for Canada in the last 15 years, except a few years when some extraordinary widespreading events had happened such as the financial crisis in 1996/97, the 9/11 in 2001 and SARS in 2003. The trend has remained upward until 2006.
Table 2 shows us that the number of Chinese and Indian immigrants since 2006 has dropped 36.1% and 21.4%, respectively.
On the other hand, European countries that haven’t been sending us many immigrants for the last three decades suddenly see a surge in immigrants. The number for UK, for example, jumped 38.6% between 2005 and 2007. Similar up trend can also be observed for France and the US. (see trend graphs below)
This is a trend that I’ve made a prediction last year, as in this post.
GRAPH 1: TREND ASIA
GRAPH 2: TREND EUROPE/US
So it that why CIC does not publish the source country data this year? Well, we don’t know. CIC never replies us on this question. Is this hidden agenda? To me, it’s obvious.
Solberg used to blame it on a slower demand from China. If that is true for China only, why is the trend so consistent across all Asian countries (except the Philippines) — all of this happens in 2006 exactly? (Table 1)
Plus, don’t they keep saying they have been working very hard on clearing backlogs? If they are REALLY doing that, how could the landing figures keep shrinking?
“Note this has nothing to do with fewer people applying,” immigration lawyer Lawrence Wong interprets. “This has everything to do with reducing output at a time when they should be clearing the backlog.”
“If applicants from these countries have dropped, they should not result in a reduction in the output since output relates to clearing backlog.”
Wong said: “This shows the gov’t is not upfront about its plan to clear backlog. They brought in legislation to ’streamline’ future intakes but they are in fact doing less to clear existing backlog as early as 2007.”
Wong also notes the significant drops in Asian countries. “These are output figures so they support the claim that immigration [department] is cutting back on Asian immigrants.”
Again, CIC did not offer an interpretation to the data.
Footnotes: Some Tory candidates lately deny the Asian numbers are declining. One even told a reporter of another newspaper that “I don’t know where they (Ming Pao) get the numbers from.” For clarity purpose, I’m attaching the data that CIC sent us last week here.
chinktalk: nope, your comments weren’t deleted. but the system will hold a comment for moderation automatically if an entry contains 2 or more links… it’s an anti-spam thing. and i have been too busy last week that i haven’t checked the dashboard for a while.
HKboy – re#48, #49,#50 – your view is well taken. What you said about homegrown Chinese (CBCs) is quite true, we are generally well fed, much loved by our families, never worry about employment – there is always a Chinese restaurant wanting a waiter somewhere. Even before Confederation, the Chinese in Canada are proud of their reticence. As a kid, I remember getting by with speaking a bit of Toisanese in Chinatown, and I would go with my father to buy some salted fish and deliver some vegetables. And my father would talk with the owner of the store and I would be playing with his kids, one of the employees would warn the owner’s kids, “Don’t play with that jooksing boy, he fights with white kids and he is so rebellious”, and “He gets bad grades in school”. This pretty well defined how Chinese Canadian kids are brought up, be quiet and obedient – don’t make trouble with white people- and have good grades. And that is generally projected into adulthood. I hated it when white kids asked me if I had a girlfriend, (in the old days, Chinese girls are not allowed to go out with boys and Chinese guys are usually alone) and I used to tell them that – “You should know, I am going out with your sister.”
ON #52 – Correct me if I am wrong but I think the GST now is 5%. And contrary to the writer’s dissatifaction of the Canadian tax and health systems, peronally, if I am treated equally, I would rather be poor and starving along with the rest of the Canadians. I don’t mind the poverty and bad systems, it is injustice that is wrong.
sn – what is your scoop on China cutting off Ming Pao?
chinktalk,
Thanks for being honesty with me.
We should go for dim sum lunch sometime, with sn paying.
admin #53 – I was mainly thinking of when I made comments in the Globe and Mail or CTV.ca and I referred a link to Asia Times or Xinhua – China View, they would always delete my links. Most of the time they would allow my comments but would delete the links. Or they would close the comments and somehow my full input would not be there.
Barry Op/Ed
Vancouver, British Columbia, the Province of Tolerance and Multicultural Diversity with all the Tofu Fixins, is one city where those who believe this is Lotusland, soon find themselves in the middle of a swamp of deceit along with what seems the past and present provincial governments blessing.
For instance our Centennial Line, an underground transit system was dug with many Central American labourers who were hired by a Canadian company whose pay scale for Immigrant workers versus Canadian workers it is said was 50% less.
The lower mainland Fruit pickers from India are no more than indentured servants ekeing out slave wages, paid by their own Indo Canadian countrymen, or Richmond BCs Asian community bringing over women from China to work retail or service industry jobs, soon find themselves in a stereotypical $5.00, $5.00, “Me Love You Long Time” Massage or Exotic Dancer Industry.
Certainly not a Happy Ending all these Immigrants thought about when they left the shores of their homeland, lured by those whose promises of Good Money, but a scam by their own Countrymen in Canada whose Culture it seems is quick to take advantage of their own kind.
Ethnic Canadian businesses knowing full well their own countrymen’s desperation as immigrants to make a better life for themselves in a country rich like Canada, who line up around the block in their third world country by the thousands to get here.
Many Vancouverittes as they sit down to drink their berry smoothie, go to a restaurant, head to a Tittie Bar, eat their veggies, ride the New Olympic Centennial line in 2010, or get that Massage will not give a second thought the toil and hidden meaning of their pasted smiles by those who bring all these services to them.
Just another case of out of sight out of mind, typical of many in Vancouver with blinders on as they go about their rich daily lives and state “BC is the Mostest, Bestest Beautifulest Place in the World”.
It certainly is, for the Businesses who make Money off the Backs of the indentured from parts unknown!
http://www.ottawasun.com/News/National/ … 1-sun.html
Foreign workers lured with lies HUMAN TRAFFICKING, Canada’s National Shame, Part III:
By TAMARA CHERRY, SUN MEDIA
The stereotype is a young woman forced to work in a brothel, strip club or massage parlour. Reality cuts across all walks of life. Nannies.
Construction workers. Seasonal farmers. “Nobody knows the language of human trafficking,” says Sherilyn Trompetter, assistant executive director of Changing Together, an Edmonton-based NGO that leads the Alberta Coalition Against Human Trafficking.
Many exploited foreign workers are treated simply as employees in poor working conditions, not as human trafficking victims, Trompetter says, pointing to the case of 30 Polish welders who arrived in Alberta in 2005 and 2006 under false pretences and were paid less than half their expected wages.
“Human trafficking in general in Canada needs to be redefined and it needs to be stated that we’ve already seen these patterns; these patterns have always existed,” she says.
“We’re just not calling it what it is.”
In a four-part series running across the country this week, Sun Media looks at Canada’s hidden trade in people; at the failure of this country to live up to its international obligations on human trafficking, to prosecute human traffickers and meaningfully help victims.
Here is an excellent article on Western media bias written by the former Japanese ambassador to Myanmar.
http://www.upiasia.com/Politics/2007/10/11/commentary_the_onesided_view_of_myanmar/4057/
HKboy, my friend, you must provide the source of your information, otherwise we are no better than the crap that the mainstream media put out. Your own opinions should be duly noted. Please don’t be offended, it is just that with my yelling a screaming against the lies, innuendos, shaded truths of the Western media, I can only accept open source. I think this hiding behind protection of the source is a cop out way for the media people to lie without accountability. The case in point would be Greame Smith’s report (Globe and Mail) on Melissa Fung, he sited a very reliable source and the story turned out to be a total lie.
I have just wasted many years of my life in Vancouver and I really regret.
Canadians are so arrogant, racist, and dumb. You all know that Vancouver is rainy, depressing, rack of excitement, boring, and full of hobos, druggies and car thieves. But they always believe that Vancouver is the best and the most beautiful place on earth eventhough most of them have not even travelled other countries. Canadians never open their eyes and they never will. They are just like a frog in a pond who thinks the pond is the universe.
They talk about how great Canada is after watching Hockey games but who cares about hockey except Canadians?
I saw some stupid Canadians go to Vancouver Airport for the first time and they get amazed by the airport and start talking how great Canada is. If you are from another country, you probably know how small and badly managed Vancouver Airport is and how many better airports are around the world. I have seen much bigger and greater airports in Europe, Korea, Japand, and South Africa. And those people don’t say how great their countries are after visiting the airports for the first time. Only Canadians do those things.
If you are from another country, you probably know how bad and poor Skytrain system in Vancouver is. The other day, one Canuck asked me “are there any advanced transportation subway system like the Skytrain in Japan?” and I got kinda offended and disgusted. If you really think that the Skytrain is advanced, you will get a heart attack if you see more than 20 subway lines in Tokyo with much bigger trains. I have lived in Seattle before I came to Canada but I have never seen people who think like that in America. Only Canadians do. They think Canada is the most advanced country in the world and all the other countries live like poor countries.
They always say how great Canada is compared to America. But no one really thinks that Canada is greater than America except Canadians.
They never say Canada is greater than America to Americans (except online where you can’t see other people’s faces). But when they talk to non-American foreighners they always say how good Canada is compared to America and they sound dumb.
Here is another thing
I’m half Japanese and half Korean. One day, I was with another Canadian and he started talking how bad Hyundai is thinking that I was completely Japanese. So I replied that at least Korea makes cars and Canada doesn’t even have a car company. He got kinda mad and said they have Ford, Pontiac, Dodge and Chrysler. I said they are American car makers and Dodge is owned by Chrysler and Pontiac is owned by GM. He got so mad and said they are domestic and there are some Ford factories in Canada. I said that it doesn’t mean that they are Canadian and there are some Honda and BMW factories in America too but that doesn’t mean that Hondas and BMWs are America. And then he went crazy and blamed me how can I can insult Canada without knowing that he first started insulting my Korean heritage.
Also, Canadians are so racist that so many of them use the word “Canadian” as a word to describe “white” race.
When cops ask people what race the suspect was in America, no one says he is American. They either say the suspect was white or caucasian. I saw some Canadians using the word “Canadian” to describe suspects when they were talking to the RCMP.
They always say like “He is indian and he got a Canadian girl friend” or “I’m half Irish and half Canadian.”
When I lived in Seattle, I have seen people saying “He is black and he got a white girlfriend” but I have never seen any Americans saying “He is black and he got an American girl friend.” I have seen Americans using “American” to describe their nationalities or cultures but never seen someone who uses it to desbribe his race.
Canadians think only white people are real Canadians and you can clearly feel that.
Most of Canadians never travel to other countries and keep talking how great Canada is compared to other countries. Most of them have never lived in America and just say how great Canada is compared to America.
Being proud of your country is good but people in other countries don’t act and think like Canadias. Canadians are so arrogant and dumb.
I have lived in Japan, America, Korea, and Canada and I can surely say all the other three countries are more advanced and much better to live than in Canada.
http://www.notcanada.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=585
The uncut version.
OTTAWA – Monique Begin considers the human tragedy playing out daily in Vancouver’s notorious Downtown Eastside and other poor, crime and drug-riddled neighbourhoods across the country and shudders at the memory of her once firmly held view of Canada as “the Sweden of the Americas.”
Not only did she believe it, Begin says she used to spout it regularly as Pierre Trudeau’s feisty minister of health and welfare from 1977 to 1984, proudly comparing Canada to the European country many experts held up then, as they do now, as a model of social and economic justice and well-being.
“Well, I made a huge mistake,” Begin says now. “Canada’s the least bad of the Americas, but it’s not Sweden by a long shot.”
A quarter century later, Begin is on her latest mission to erase the rosy image once and for all by telling anyone who will listen that inequities in Canada’s social underpinnings – involving everything from education and family income to jobs and housing – have more of an impact on the health of Canadians than medical treatment.
Begin was among 20 international specialists tapped by the World Health Organization almost four years ago to identify social disparities within countries and between countries that affect health, and to recommend ways of addressing the problems.
In the lingo of public health officials, the factors are known as the “social determinants of health,” a concept that, Begin says, Canada and some other governments have yet to embrace.
The group released its report in late August, a thick tour de force that, among other things, said improved living conditions, ranging from more education and better labour standards to universal access to basic health care, are key to achieving healthy populations in rich and poor countries alike.
In effect, it preaches the merits of tackling the causes of the ill-health and premature death because, as Begin puts it, medicine cannot create health.
“In countries at all levels of income, health and illness follow a social gradient: the lower the socioeconomic position, the worse the health,” the report said.
It landed with barely a ripple in Canada, which, at the time, was in the throes of the deadly listeriosis crisis and also was awash in election speculation.
Undeterred, Begin, a professor at the University of Ottawa, is a walking, talking advertisement for the report, never turning down a chance to speak about it to the media and to mayors, health professionals and other groups.
A main message is that Canada, where child poverty remains a fact of life and where food banks have become a permanent fixture, has nothing to brag about.
In a lengthy interview, Begin recalled the shock her international colleagues got when they saw first-hand the human misery on the streets of Vancouver’s downtown eastside, a district renown for its poverty-stricken population, much of it aboriginal, sex-trade workers, drug addicts and homeless of all ages. The commissioners visited Vancouver in June, 2007, as part of their worldwide research.
“When the bus was circulating the streets of the Eastside, my colleagues from the other countries were so shaken just to see the drug addicts, the homeless and so many aboriginal faces,” she said.
“They came to my seat on the bus and said, ‘but Monique, what’s that?’ I was shaken but they were more shaken than me. They don’t associate that with Canada.”
Begin challenges groups involved in public health, who she describes as “the converted,” to make alliances with teachers, social workers and others who do not have their head in the sand about the social determinants of health.
“A teacher in a classroom knows the social determinants because she has to be a psychologist, a dietitian, a counsellor for the parents and you name it,” Begin said.
Begin is not expecting miracles from the current lot of federal and provincial leaders in Ottawa. After all, she says, Canada is a country that goes for incremental action.
“The great integrated plan to address poverty will never take place,” she says. “It’s not us.”
For now, Begin hopes the federal budget planned for Jan. 27 will provide infrastructure money for public housing.
“I know some people will say social housing itself is not enough. You need the services to go with it,” she says. “Well, I’m sorry. Let’s start with what we can. You know politics is the art of the possible.”
Stay away from Canada. The country is an empty deep freezer. Its people are stupid and ignorant.
Canada, no more rosy-paintings and lies please, you’re one of the worst place to live in the whole world, zero opportunities, horrible weather, ignorant and lazy people.
Yes, please stay away. I’m glad you all hate it.
Although judging by your need to trash talk, sounds like jealousy to me. But mostly, you are petty, arrogant Asians that think you are superior to everyone else, but in reality you are dismissed by the mainstream for not having any common sense or forethought.
Canada was created by white anglo-saxons and you wish for such a country – that’s why you cam here.
Yippee.
you all seem to have nurtured great frustrations.but what about those who are still immigrating.there must be some reason for.what do you all think?
Why don’t you chink’s just stay in Asia if you don’t like Canada! I swear next time I see a Asian crossing a street
i’m going to run him over.