#15. Should you immigrate to Rwanda?
Yes, I think it should be an option.
Hiya,
Happy Wednesday. The sun is back to Calgary. Even though we’ve got a thunderstorm warning lurking on our weather app screens. How’s your week going?
In today’s newsletter: Miracle talks about what it means to be an immigrant.
Also: Neel knows what’s great about immigrating to Rwanda.
Plus: The
goes all in on Canada’s obligations to immigrants and locals.By: Dozie Anyaegbunam
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You can find the online version of this newsletter here.What does it mean to be an immigrant?
Well, there are the masks you have to wear every day. Then there are the costs. And these are not just the financial costs.
It's stuff like realizing that your kids will never had what you had growing up; the beautiful chaos of Christmas mornings with cousins everywhere, the ability to drop by without notice at your sister's home; the ability to just exist within family without having to organize, plan, or explain yourself.
Miracle Inameti-Archibong, who who moved from Nigeria to the United Kingdom 18 years ago, understands this means pretty well.
Listen to the full thing⤵
Should you immigrate to Rwanda?
I am biased, but I would say yes for a couple of reasons:
Political stability
Economic growth; this is one country that consistently ranks high on the Ease of Doing Business Index in Africa.
Regional access to the Kenyan, Ugandan, and Tanzanian markets
And then it’s such a beautiful country
Neel Parekh, the Founder and CEO of MaidThis® & MaidThis® Franchise, agrees with me. In his words, “Dude, this place is freaking awesome.”
Listen to the full thing⤵
What’s Canada’s obligation to immigrants and locals?
Honesty, support, and a chance to belong. Not endless paperwork, broken systems, and cold welcomes.
I should add that Canadian Returnee makes a pro-Canada argument here. But a balanced one. My biggest takeaway from the piece was the hidden damage of our immigration policy misalignment. It’s not so hidden anymore though.
Some things I’ve found myself thinking about after reading the piece:
We need to find a way to fast-track credential recognition for skilled immigrants. It’s been a big topic in recent months. It would be good to see some specific steps from the government.
How do we reframe the immigration conversation from one focused on numbers and targets to one that prioritizes successful integration and mutual benefit for the immigrant and Canada?
Read the guest post⤵
What am I excited about?
Canadian Returnee and I will be working on a couple of pieces that breaks down the Canadian political system for immigrants. What would you like us to tackle?
I recently launched a Buy me a coffee support page. If you find my work useful, please support me via that.
The coloring book goes to the illustrator by end of next week. Once I get the first set of illustrations, I’ll set up a pre-order page.