November 16, 2020 – AMSSA is renewing the call for a BC Ministry of Immigration, Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism in a letter to Premier John Horgan.
Immigration, multiculturalism, and anti-racism intersect with practically every existing provincial ministry. These are issues that are woven into the very fabric of our country and into all of the institutions that run our province.
Download the letter and background document by clicking here.
Dear Premier Horgan,
We are writing to express urgency for the provincial engagement strategy recommendation released in AMSSA’s 2018 report Immigration for BC’s Future: A Call for Action to Strengthen Newcomer Integration for an independent Ministry of Immigration, Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism (https://www.amssa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Immigration-For-BCs-Future-Web-Version.pdf) Immigration, multiculturalism, and anti-racism intersect with practically every existing provincial ministry. These are issues that are woven into the very fabric of our country and into all of the institutions that run our province. Like every province and territory, B.C. has unique attractions, challenges, and histories that require a specific provincial response.
Marco Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, tabled the 2021‒2023 Immigration Levels Plan on October 30, 2020, which aims to welcome 1.2 million Permanent Residents to Canada during the next three years. There is an urgent need for a provincial Ministry of Immigration, Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism to ensure the successful integration of all newcomers, whether they arrive as Permanent Residents or as temporary residents with the possible intention of seeking permanent residency. Immigration contributes to the nation building of Canada and will be a key factor in Canada’s COVID-19 economic recovery plan. Having a dedicated provincial Ministry of Immigration, Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism will provide the province with the ability to ensure that immigration is an integral part of the province’s priorities, including COVID-19 economic recovery and anti-racism work. The recently tabled immigration landing numbers allow for a higher number of newcomers entering via the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) stream where the selection process is determined by the province and having a stand alone Ministry of Immigration, Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism will help ensure that this selection process is responsive to BC’s needs.
Who We Are
The settlement and integration sector provides essential services to all newcomers. This includes permanent residents (refugees, immigrants, and naturalized citizens) and temporary residents (e.g. migrant workers, refugee claimants and international students). Examples of the services provided in the sector are settlement and re-settlement services, language instruction, employment programming, trauma counselling and housing supports. The Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies (AMSSA) is the provincial umbrella organization for the sector with 80 members throughout B.C. As the settlement and integration umbrella agency, AMSSA supports the sector through professional development, research and policy analysis, programming and knowledge mobilization, as well as through various committees, partnerships and working groups. One such committee is the Immigrant Integration Coordination Committee (IICC), a province-wide advisory group of AMSSA members and BC-IRCC Settlement Service representatives. The IICC acts as a collective body of experienced sector representatives to provide strategic input, facilitate effective consultations as well as develop and improve professional standards in service delivery that impact the settlement and integration sector.
Current BC Government Structure:
- Immigration currently spans four units (Welcome BC, Three Provincial Nominee Programs, Immigration Policy and Integration Branch, International Students), in two ministries – The Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness and the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training;
- Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism is housed separately within Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture;
- The current structure makes it hard to coordinate immigration related matters and speak with one voice both with the federal government and within BC.
- Under a previous NDP government, BC had a Ministry of Multiculturalism and Immigration that was able to have more focused and engaged discussions on immigration related matters with the federal government and civil society.
Call For Action
A Ministry of Immigration, Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism would recognize the growing importance of immigration while increasing our collective efforts in recognizing the importance of multiculturalism and diversity as a strength while combating racism. We would venture to speculate that provinces best equipped to understand and shape immigration will benefit from regionalization pilots and the new municipal immigration sponsorship program. This includes, of course, the ability to advocate for their share of increased future Provincial Nominee Program targets.
In the timeframe from January 2018 to August 2020 when viewed on a monthly average, approximately 40% of temporary residents made the transition while in B.C.to permanent residency (as opposed to coming in with permanent residency, as is the case with refugees and immigrants). With COVID-19 border restrictions, and other barriers, Canada may need innovation and creativity to meet the recently announced target levels across the next three years. One possibility would be to granting permanent residency to those temporary residents who are already safely in Canada, such as international students and temporary foreign workers.
Having more provincial attention to immigration would be a promising step towards creating easier pathways for permanent residency for international students, temporary foreign workers, and other temporary residents. There are a few streams of temporary status in BC, including the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), the International Mobility Program, the Study Permit, and the Post-Graduate Work Permit. Many temporary residents who hold these permits are vulnerable, have few protections, and are racialized. Bringing in temporary workers for permanent jobs is counterproductive for labour force growth; immigration and permanent residency are integral to provincial economic growth and COVID-19 economic recovery.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted many inequities in our country, especially amongst newcomers and it also highlighted our reliance on labour we consider essential. Temporary foreign workers are essential workers, doing work that helps keep Canada and British Columbia running for less pay and with less protections than the average Canadian worker. The TFW program especially is almost exclusively made up of racialized people. Both the federal and provincial governments have expressed support for anti-racist movements. Currently, the portfolios of immigration and multiculturalism are split between the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture, which does not allow for an intersectional approach. Racial justice is deeply intertwined with labour rights, gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and migrant justice. At this critical time, we urge the province to fight for the most vulnerable newcomers and prioritize this fight for justice by establishing a Minister for Immigration, Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism.
Along with a designated Ministry of Immigration, Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism, BC needs to develop a 5-year provincial Immigration Plan with a vision; projections and forecasting of future immigration needs and impacts on communities/regions throughout the province. We need to move from a reactive mode focused on PR and TR arrivals to a more concerted, proactive mode on future planning needs. This Immigration Plan would include such elements as projected immigrant settlement patterns based on previous trends to assist municipal governments, businesses, health care, education, housing needs, transit expansion, etc to better plan for future needs. Within the proposed new Ministry, there would need to be some kind of partnership between the new Ministry and StatsBC to monitor immigration and migration patterns, trends, and outcomes. An ‘intelligence unit’ within the new Ministry focused solely on immigration would be needed including planning for the uneven impact associated with accelerated baby boom retirements. Lastly, we suggest that the new Ministry review the BC Auditor General report and recommendations on BC’s Provincial Nominee program. While the report is largely positive, there are several useful recommendations that should be enacted.
The settlement and integration sector in B.C. has established networks, skills, and ability to meet the need. Having more conversation around immigration on a provincial level would not only ensure that we can transition even more people into permanent residency, but also that B.C. would be better equipped to select immigrants and permanent residents who fit the province’s specific needs and who can be an integral part of British Columbia’s growth and recovery.
Thank you for your consideration,
Katie Crocker
Chief Executive Officer
Download the letter and background document by clicking here.
