In partnership with
Please forward this to ONE Canadian immigrant today and tell them to subscribe here.
Hi!
And welcome to today’s edition of From the Editor.
In today’s newsletter: I ask if the words we use to describe immigration choosing our policies for us.
Also, we’ve got: All the good tidings that came during the month of March, immigration wise.
By: Dozie Anyaegbunam
See past issues here.
Are the words we use to describe immigration choosing our policies for us?
Over the last year or so, the dominant language used to frame immigration by its most fervent critics has been something around it being a volume problem.
And the word you’ll hear used most times is “broken” in its different forms; the system is broken, we have too many people, the doors were thrown wide open, services are flooded, communities are overwhelmed.
I think this frames immigration as a malignant force acting on Canada, something that happens to the country rather than something the country does. And once you accept that framing, the only logical responses are restriction, reduction, and control.
So you start to hear about capping the numbers, tightening eligibility, running a referendum to ask voters whether to limit who gets access to healthcare and education.
For example, look at the language that was used to frame the Alberta immigration referendum announcement. Classrooms are “flooded,” emergency rooms are strained by “far too many people, far too quickly.” You could literally use that same language to describe the damage caused by water pipes as massive as the Bearspaw South feeder main.
And when you describe a flood, most people don’t stop to ask whether you should have built better drainage systems. They just want the water out of their homes.
In my yet-to-be released The Newcomers Podcast episode with Jonathan Oldman, the CEO of the Immigrant Services Society of BC, he talks about how broken implies something that can't be fixed, only replaced. But our immigration system isn't broken, he says. It's under strain. And the question should be how do you alleviate the pressure?
Oldman then goes on to share a great analogy. If you've got an overcrowded bus route, the solution isn't to ban passengers. It's to increase the capacity of your transit system so people can get to their jobs, their schools, their communities.
And to be fair, Canada brought in more people than its infrastructure was built to absorb. But Oldman’s analogy points to a question we don’t seem to be asking, which is:
Why aren't we building the infrastructure to match the immigration our demographics demand?
Read the full article here including what I think better language would look like ⬇️
Can this idea actually make money?
The fastest way to find out is simple — launch a newsletter and website in minutes, then turn what you know into something people can buy.
With beehiiv’s Digital Product Suite, your expertise becomes real products: a short guide, a playbook, a set of templates, or limited access to your time. No friction, and no code required. Just create, price it, and share it with your audience.
And unlike other platforms that quietly take 5–10% of every sale, beehiiv takes 0%. What you earn is yours to keep.
For a limited time, get 30% off your first 3 months on beehiiv with code PRODUCT30.
March came with some good immigration vibes
There’s been more bad than good news in Canadian immigration in recent times. So these updates were good to see, and I hope it means same for you. Here’s some of it:
The IRCC has changed how it calculates income for super visa eligibility. Which is great news for any Canadian permanent resident or citizen who wants their parents to visit Canada for longer than six months.
Job offer points are coming back to the Express Entry program.
There will also be additional points for Canadian work experience in high-wage occupations.
Read more here, including what’s next ⬇️
Good finds
Canada’s Economy Explained hosted by Marwa Abdou is one of my favorite listens. And she nails it again on this episode with Dr. Anna Triandafyllidou (Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration & Integration at Toronto Metropolitan University) and Dr. Christopher Worswick (Carleton University & UCL) where they explore different sides to this really really important question: What does the the Canadian system give back to the people who their skills, ambition, and human capital to the country?
The Newcomers resources & guides
The Ten Commandments of Settling Into Canada shares some basic rules for making things a bit easier as you look to settle into Canada.
The Ten Commandments of Integrating Into Canada takes things a step further by sharing how to let Canada work its way through you like the elixir you didn’t know you needed.
Want to work with us? Check out The Newcomers Media Kit.
Want more immigrant interviews? Listen to The Newcomers Podcast.
Looking to find out what Canadian immigration program you’re eligible for? Check out our Who’s Eligible For series.
Do you know anyone who would find this information useful? Please forward it.
Was this email forwarded to you? Join our mailing list.