CHARBONNEAU – The difference between immigrants and ‘immigrants’

IMMIGRANTS ARE DEFINED as: “foreign nationals who have been granted permanent residence under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).”

Immigrants are not Temporary Foreign Workers, International Students, Refugee Claimants/Asylum Seekers, or Canadian-born citizens whose parents were immigrants.

It’s an important distinction to make because the word is used carelessly; Canadians who are not white are often told to “go home.”

“Immigrants” represent a much broader group. It includes everyone who is from another country –foreigners. It’s a broad brush used to tar a wide section of people including the largest and most visible group: international students.

Support for immigration has dropped to its lowest in 25 years. In 2024, about 60% of Canadians believe Canada accepts too many immigrants.

“Immigrants” are said to be exacerbating a number of problems.

Canadians believe immigration is making housing harder to find and more expensive. But the lack of affordable housing existed before the recent influx of “immigrants” arrived.

And most temporary foreign workers are employed in the agricultural sector where housing is provided. Under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, employers are required by law to provide free or subsidized, government-inspected, housing for workers.

Canadians believe immigration is making access to health care more difficult. But limited access to health care existed before the recent influx of “immigrants” arrived.

And agricultural workers are not eligible for provincial health coverage if their stay is under the minimum time requirement. Employers are legally required to provide private health insurance when no other exists.

International students have health care coverage in some provinces but not others. B.C. provides health care after a three-month waiting period if they apply. Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia do not.

The worry over “immigrants” seems to be based on a general anxiety: wars, inflation, threat to our economy and sovereignty, tariffs and broad Trump chaos.

And the worry is political. Conservatives are more likely to say immigration levels are too high. Those who are in rural areas, where there is a lot of Conservative support, are more concerned.

Politicians have been quick to capitalize on the recent drop in support for immigrants.

Pierre Poilievre recently called on the Liberal government to “permanently scrap” the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).

B.C. Premier David Eby agrees with Poilievre, claiming that Ottawa’s flawed immigration policies are responsible for filling up homeless shelters and food banks in his province and that the TFWP should be scrapped.

“We can’t have an immigration system that outpaces our ability to build schools, and housing, and we can’t have an immigration program that results in high unemployment,” said Eby.

There has been a backlash against Eby’s comments.

“So furious to see this,” former NDP cabinet minister Katrina Chen posted on Twitter. “It happens all the time: gov underfunds services, then points fingers at immigrants through flawed policies gov created. This fuels bias & discrimination.”

“Immigrants” are a vital part of our society and economy, especially in the agricultural sector where they labour to put vegetables and fruit on our tables.

International students not only financially support our colleges and universities; they culturally bring the world to Canada.

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