Navigating Shifting Immigration Policies: Why Advocacy and Innovation Matter Now More Than Ever

Dear Community,

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Last week the Canadian government tabled the new Canadian Immigration Levels Plan, cutting planned immigration to Canada by 21 - 30% over the next three years. Then, on Tuesday, we saw a majority of American voters elect Donald Trump to his second Presidential term on a strongly anti-immigrant agenda. Neither are isolated phenomena, and we are likely to see Canadian immigration policy further influenced by the US election in the months to come. 

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This is a difficult moment for all of us who believe in freedom of movement and the right of every individual to seek safety, security and be treated with dignity.  Beyond the principle of safe, orderly and regular migration, many of us who have migration backgrounds ourselves have felt dehumanized by politicians and media headlines that stoop to stereotype immigrants as unsavory characters, criminals, dog eaters, rapists. 

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Amidst this increasingly polarized environment, PeaceGeeks’ work is more important than ever. Immigration is not a fringe issue; it is central to Canada's and the United States’ past, present, and future. Regardless of our political beliefs, we are clearly at an inflection point where policymakers are under pressure to offer a defensible immigration strategy, with data on the effectiveness and benefits of immigration to meet our labour market needs and humanitarian commitments. 

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Over the last three years PeaceGeeks has provided research, policy advocacy, and digital innovation to demonstrate how the settlement sectors in Canada and the US can integrate emerging technologies with adaptive, human-centered design, to provide more cost-effective services to a greater number of newcomers. Technology has the ability to alleviate resource-intensive, underfunded and overwhelmed social services, and can provide timely, accurate information and resources to more people. The benefits span more efficient service delivery, alleviating some of the burden on settlement workers to focus on multiple-barriered clients, to better data for timely, informed decision-making. 

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Regardless of the morality, any plan to “stop” immigration is logistically unfeasible, and would be catastrophic to the US and Canadian economies. Which further reinforces the need to fix the gaps in our respective immigration systems. 

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I was recently in Ottawa to present, along with colleagues from 12 leading organizations across the country, our co-authored policy white paper, “Metropolis Action Guide on Immigration and Integration” (MAGII) to the Deputy Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada / Immigration, Réfugiés et Citoyenneté Canada and parliamentarians.

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Our analysis and recommendations speak to how to address issues with Canada’s immigration policy in selection criteria, Canada’s humanitarian commitments, guidance on how to modernize and address barriers to credential recognition, and how to support Canadian employers to better access skilled immigrants to fill crucial talent shortages- such as in healthcare and housing. 

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In the years to come, PeaceGeeks will continue to work with both our US and Canadian partners and policymakers to imagine new solutions. Together, we will gather data (quantitative and qualitative) to reanimate immigrants’ and refugees’ humanity, and the myriad contributions we-you-they make to our communities economically, socially and culturally. It will not be quick or easy, challenging harmful bias takes time. But through sustained engagement, policy advocacy, and highlighting the positive impact of immigrants and refugees, we will continue to shift how migration is perceived and experienced. Fortunately, we are not doing this work alone. As the path forward gets steeper, I am more grateful than ever for the team we have in PeaceGeeks, and our partners in government, industry, and communities as we confront this endeavor, together.

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Meet the author

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