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Fortunately this second phase of migration has proved to be beneficial both to the immigrants and many host countries which are now pursuing an active pro immigration policy. Let us take a statistical look at the serious phenomenon of declining population in N. America and Europe. Compared with the annual population growth rate of around 2.5% in most over populated countries, as against the world average of 1.2%, the growth rates of population in Europe and N. America are not only much smaller but keep falling after every census to the point of reaching negative rates sooner or later. To illustrate the same, their annual population growth rates are, in the descending order, Australia (1.18%), USA(1.08%), Canada (0.9%), France (0.4%), UK (0.3%), Japan (0.2%), Germany (0.1%) and Italy (0.08%).
There are several reasons why Canada stands as a preferred destination of international immigrants. First, Canada has a history of openness and reputation as a friendly welcoming country as well as an honest broker in international politics. Second, Canada is generally free from racial tensions and uprisings that are now so rampant in Europe. Third, Canada is a very large country that can absorb a lot more immigrants comfortably than countries in Europe that are much too smaller. The vastness of Canada, with its ‘big brother’ the US to the south of the border, is another advantage for immigrants to come in large numbers. The present annual intake of immigrants in Canada is around 2,00,000. Fourth, the great diversity of Canadian population is another source of attraction for immigrants who may like to be in a ‘mosaic’ society like Canada which promotes ‘multi-culturalism’ than get lost in to a ‘melting pot’ that US has become. In ’98, the top ten countries of origin for newcomers to Canada were China, India, the Philippines, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Iran, S. Korea, Poland and Russia.
Published on 1st April 2002 Desikachary Vembar
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Copyright
2008, Chennai Interactive
Business Services (P) Ltd. |
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The plight of many developed countries in the west that are facing an alarming decline in their population growth rates has been overshadowed by the more familiar plight of over population in China, India and other Asian countries. Since the mass migration of millions of Europeans to N. America to escape the repression of non-Catholics and Jews during the early part of the 20th century, the world has witnessed two different kinds of migration after 1960, namely, a) the refugee exodus from strife-torn countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America in search of safe havens in the west and b) the economic immigrants who began moving out of their poverty and problem-ridden home countries in search of greener pastures in Europe and N. America, especially the latter. 
According to a recent Canadian census report, immigrants now carry the load in expanding Canada’s population. Of the 1.2 million strong population increase that Canada recorded between ’96 and ’01 the larger part was accounted for by those born outside the country. The census makes it clear that the health of Canadian economy depends on a more open and intelligent immigration policy and that at the present rates of economic growth, births and migration, Canada should expect a shortfall of one million workers by 2020. While this may provide lots of opportunities for immigrants in Canada’s ageing society, it is equally true that immigrants with high levels of education are hamstrung by a lack of recognition of their credentials among the 400 professional regulatory bodies in Canada. The census numbers suggest that Canada has no reason to pick and choose its immigrants because the country needs taxi drivers, nannies and nursing home workers as much as doctors and architects. Above all, Canada needs consumers to buy all those cars, houses, furniture, etc. to match their mass production with demand besides a skilled labor pool for research, development and manufacture of products. Economists and urban planners are depending on population growth to keep the economy humming through immigration.
Metro Toronto’s population has people drawn from more than 80 countries of the world! People of Indian and Sri Lankan origin are prominent in the fields of commerce, industry, arts, culture and entertainment. ‘Gerrard Street’ in downtown Toronto, like ‘Jackson Heights’ in New York, is a place that is nick named as ‘Little India’ for its heavy concentration of Indian bazaars, eateries and movie theatres. Likewise there are other exclusive quarters of attraction for Italians, Greeks, Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, etc. An almost exclusively white population of European extraction that Canada had till 1960 has now been transformed into one of the most diverse in the world. Finally, a major factor that attracts immigrants is Canada’s infrastructure in Health, Education, Transportation, Tele-communications, etc. that are comparable to the best in the world, not to mention its clean air, environment and water. Albeit the above advantages, the immigrants coming from the tropics may have one little concern, namely four months of Canadian winter which could be rough at times!
