An Ounce Of Immigration Logic For Nova Scotia And Others

Canadian Immigration Minister Monte Solberg.

Nova Scotia Government: Take a close look at the fraud practiced by past Business Immigrants and at the 50%+ poverty rates in Canada's post-1990 immigrants.

By Citizen Correspondent Dan Murray

Date Posted: 01/18/07

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Nova Scotia government officials have recently announced plans to allow immigrant families to bring in relatives to assist those families with their businesses. Before federal and Nova Scotia officials allow this plan to go any further, they should take a close look at past federal goverment failures with Business Immigrants (Entrepreneurs, Investors and Self-Employed). They should also take a sober look at high poverty levels among post 1990 immigrants, particularly Canada's Family Class of immigrants. Both governments should think carefully about the precedent this programme may set for other provinces.

The Nova Scotia plan is called the Family Business plan---a reference to the combining it does of two current federal immigrant categories: the Skilled Worker/Business category, part of which is for business immigrants who should be bringing a skill with them, and the Family Category which consists of immigrants who are almost completely unskilled.

The Nova Scotia plan has been described as a way to bring in skilled workers to compensate for the loss of the province's skilled workers to other areas of Canada. It has also been praised as a way of reversing an alleged decline in Nova Scotia's population.

However, Statistics Canada does not back up statements that are being made about Nova Scotia's population. That province had a population of 930,200 in 2001. In July, 2006, Statistics Canada estimated that Nova Scotia's popultion had actually increased to 934,172. In other words, over a period of five years, there has been no population decline. There have been reports of an outflow of some skilled workers to Alberta, but according to reports, those numbers are very small and refer to tradespeople such as carpenters and plumbers. Does it make sense to replace carpenters and plumbers with business people who specialize in the carpet business? In other words, if workers (temporary or permanent) are to be brought in at all, shouldn't immigration be specifically targetted to Nova Scotia's worker needs?

Former Immigration Minister Volpe used figures that did not add up to the conclusions he drew. Since the bill for immigration is paid by all Canadians, it is logical that Ottawa should give some guidance and that Nova Scotia should be sensible in its decisions. Neither should be bowing to pressure from immigrant groups who have invented the latest immigration trick.