CHARBONNEAU – Foreign workers should have a chance for citizenship

TEMPORARY FOREIGN WORKERS labour in jobs that Canadians won’t. They perform a vital role in our economy, yet they face bureaucratic hurdles in becoming citizens.

According to the most recent statistics, there were 239,646 temporary foreign workers in Canada. In B.C., 53,295 worked in a variety of positions; most as farm workers.

According to the Conference Board of Canada, even with approximately 70,000   temporary foreign workers last year, there were still 28,200 agriculture jobs in 2022 that could not be filled by Canadians. That number is projected to grow to more than 100,000 vacant jobs by 2030 without the use of temporary foreign workers.

Beyond being employed in vital sectors of our economy, temporary foreign workers reinforce our strength of diversity.

The most visible temporary foreign workers are in the retail sector. I see more Blacks and Asians as store clerks than ever before –presumably as temporary foreign workers and as international students from TRU.

Temporary foreign workers are changing the face of Kamloops for the better in terms of our cultural mosaic. We are more cosmopolitan as a result. Unlike the U.S., which describes itself as a “melting pot,” Canada celebrates multiculturalism.

We need immigration to sustain our economy. Without them, many of the social programs that we take for granted, such as health care, infrastructure maintenance, and Old Age Security, would be eroded.

To be sure, there are problems with the TFWP. The biggest one is housing. Canadians can’t afford to buy or rent decent accommodation.

While more foreign workers have exaggerated the housing problem, they are not the cause of it. Failure on the part of all levels of government to build affordable housing for decades is the problem.

Though it no fault of their own, temporary foreign workers are being unfairly blamed for our problems. The affordable housing crisis has changed the way Canadians feel about immigrants.

According to polling from the Angus Reid Institute, concern over immigration has risen four-fold over the last two years.  Now, one-fifth say “Immigration/refugees” is one of the top issues facing the country -putting it in a tie with climate change.

Immigrants are an easy political target. Former U.S. president Trump has managed to capitalize on fear of “the other,” with sometimes comical effects such as his claim that Haitian immigrants are eating pets in Springfield, Ohio.

Polling from the Angus Reid reveals the politics of immigration in Canada. Only 49 percent of Conservatives say the TFWP is fine as it is or it should continue in a reduced form.  For Liberals 72 per cent agree and for NDP supporters, it’s 57 per cent.

A breakdown of polling by province is also revealing.

In B.C., immigration doesn’t even make in the top five of issues facing Canada. In Alberta and Ontario, immigration is fourth of the top five.

The TFWP can lead to Canadian citizenship but it’s a labyrinth.

Through the program, foreign workers come to Canada with a temporary work permit, usually tied to a specific employer. After living in Canada as a permanent resident for 5 years, only then are they eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship.

We need temporary foreign workers and we need immigrants. Let’s make it easier.

David Charbonneau is a retired TRU electronics instructor who hosts a blog at http://www.eyeviewkamloops.wordpress.com.