Cities in the time of Covid-19: What Does the Future Hold for Immigration in Our Cities?

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Transcript

Note to readers: This video session was transcribed using auto-transcribing software. Manual editing was undertaken in an effort to improve readability and clarity. Questions or concerns with the transcription can be directed to events@canurb.org with “transcription” in the subject line.  

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11:33:05          From Emily Wall, CUI Staff: covidresponse@canurb.org

11:34:19          From Emily Wall, CUI Staff: Please select “all panelists and attendees” in the chat function so that everyone can read your comments.

11:34:50          From Canadian Urban Institute: #citytalk

11:35:10          From Canadian Urban Institute: https://canurb.org/citytalk

11:35:49          From Lynda Chubak: Good morning everyone. Thank you for this webinar and your work.

11:37:18          From Emily Wall, CUI Staff: Today’s panel:

Queenie Choo – https://twitter.com/queeniechoo

https://www.successbc.ca/eng/

Lisa Lalande – https://twitter.com/lalandelisa

https://www.centuryinitiative.ca

Yasir Naqvi – https://twitter.com/yasir_naqvi

Homepage

Ratna Omidvar – https://twitter.com/ratnaomi

Home

11:42:54          From Patrick Kyba: Our company has recently completed a major COVID-19 study and released a report about new Canadians that echos Queenie’s comments. You can view it here: https://portal.advanis.net/a/en/report/saas004950/MTIz.AXR33Quj4bRNCHzAXv2G_z0MdlA/

11:43:49          From Abigail Slater (SCT): @Patrick it is not available without login privileges

11:47:57          From Yasir Naqvi: To follow our response to COVID-19 — “Standing together for inclusion” — please follow us on www.inclusion.ca/covid-19-response.

11:48:28          From Abigail Slater (SCT): And he role of front care health workers in an ageing society,…so many of whom are newcomers

11:49:20          From Queenie Choo to All panelists: racism and hate crime have no place in our community. Stand strong on this

11:50:03          From Patrick Kyba: @abigail The site should be public. What login are you being asked for?

11:50:23          From Abigail Slater (SCT): @Patrick Advanic

11:50:26          From Abigail Slater (SCT): Advanix

11:50:32          From Abigail Slater (SCT): Advanis (ugh)

11:51:17          From Queenie Choo: racism and hate crime have no place in our community. Let’s stand strong on this

11:52:13          From Abigail Slater (SCT): Much of our educational system also relies on immigration and a pathway to citizenship.

11:54:13          From John Meyer to All panelists: For Ratna, immigration has expanded the commercial economy but it has hurt per capita income and equality as our #2 status in the world in the early 1960s has fallen into the mid-20s now due to stagnating incomes, higher debt and inflating housing costs.

11:54:36          From Abigail Slater (SCT): @Ratna RIGHT ON!

11:54:45          From Canadian Urban Institute: Welcome new joiners! Just a reminder to please change your chat settings to “all panelists and attendees” so everyone can see your comments.

11:55:58          From Patrick Kyba: @abigail Thank you for letting us know. We believe we know the issue. Be sure to add the / at the end of the URL. We will fix this issue at a later time, but if you include the / at the end, you should be able to access the report: https://portal.advanis.net/a/en/report/saas004950/MTIz.AXR33Quj4bRNCHzAXv2G_z0MdlA/

11:56:24          From Emily Wall, CUI Staff: Please help CUI improve its CityTalk programming with a short post-webinar survey – https://bit.ly/3ceLSN9

11:56:57          From Leo Doyle to All panelists: Given the low pay and difficult working condition of farm worker and personal support workers, doesn’t it create more vulnerability for these workers if they are targeted intensively for immigration? Isn’t part of the problem that these are low-paid jobs and too many vulnerable people are in those sectors?

11:56:58          From Catherine Manson: Question also about impact on Social Assistance financial concerns – if many are affected by lower income – cannot recover quickly – is this a time to discuss Basic Imcome for all including our Migrant Workers

11:59:24          From Leo Doyle to All panelists: Mr Naqvi, How does creating more costly urban sprawl help immigrants, of which at least 25 to 40 are low income? More exurban land build houses for double income, affluent people. It sucks up tax revenue needed to provide support to urban communities, where poor are concentrated?

11:59:31          From Angela Kiu to All panelists: It is OK to expand a bit – key is to integrate transportation and land use planning and design, with strong applications of sustainable design and development . Just let immigration continues as usual. to keep population growth to counter aging population. Yes, I agree with Lisa totally!!

11:59:52          From Joseph Jozsa to All panelists: I have not heard mention of refugees! THey are even worst affected . . .

11:59:57          From Donna Bolton-Steele: “You clap for me, now” video speaks to the issues Ratna was speaking to. https://youtu.be/gXGIt_Y57tc

12:00:10          From Canadian Urban Institute: Folks, please change your chat settings to “all panelists and attendees” so everyone can see your comments.

12:01:12          From Abigail Slater (SCT): @patrick…it had the / (am I the only one?)

12:04:48          From Angela Kiu: Just let immigration continues as usual. to keep population growth to counter aging population. Yes, I agree with Lisa totally!! A balance must perpetuate. Multi-prong objectives always work better than single prong approaches. We must be strategic.

12:05:39          From Abigail Slater (SCT): How much of the disproportionate socio economic status on newcomers is systemic. If they are moved to jobs with no protections, and as we know the long term health care facilities do not allow for full time, so they must move from location to location, etc. farm work, etc. it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy as Queen said.

12:06:12          From Phil Chalk: Would extending the vote, at least on a municipal level, to newcomers who are not yet citizens, encourage more equitable and effective policy outcomes for newcomers?

12:06:40          From Angela Kiu: Sadly too about what Yasir has just said …. many forget that immigration started and established new nations the world over.

12:06:42          From Patrick Kyba: @abigail Can you try a different browser?

12:06:51          From John Meyer: Aging? Aging is inevitable and immigration is doing almost nothing even at the current world’s highest rate to change our age structure. Trying to run ahead of aging pushes extremely and ever growing levels of immigration forever – sustainability is extremely difficult to achieve even for the current level of population. Aging was buried decades ago as some thing to solve. It is something we have to adjust to as part of the demographic transition begun in the 1700’s. Age structure will inevitably include a higher proportion of older people. Other countries are managing this well.

12:07:33          From Abigail Slater (SCT): @patrick….Safari worked! Thanks!

12:07:35          From Carmichael Polonio: **standing ovation to Yasir**

12:07:48          From Angela Kiu: Yep, immigration is the only way today for economic growth and sustainability – pretty rudimentary economic understanding.

12:08:58          From Angela Kiu: @ Yasir – weel said re: immigration and tax base, etc.

12:09:23          From Amy Calder: what about additional supports to support young people who are starting families? regardless of status as an immigrant or “local” Canadian. We point to immigration as a way to increase our population and support the economy, but as @John Meyer says above, immigration doesn’t solve aging. We need to boost our birth rates too

12:09:36          From Meghan Hollett to All panelists: Yes pls, let’s chat about the right to vote & feeling a greater connection to your city

12:11:08          From Juliana Dutkay to All panelists: Is participation sufficient? or agency!

12:11:48          From leen al zaibak to All panelists: Well said Yasir, good enough today should be good enough tomorrow. An interesting article that speaks on the point of allowing the greatly needed internationally trained doctors a future in the medical field post crisis. https://bit.ly/3cfgjTo

12:12:05          From Jelena Garic: I agree for licensing – where did this restriction for foreign licensing/education come from? For the medical field specifically, where did the restriction come from? Lobbying from the industry or is it more a political play?

12:12:11          From Juliana Dutkay: is participation sufficient? or agency is actually required.

12:12:49          From Abigail Slater (SCT): @Jelena licensing is a closed shop!

12:13:17          From Angela Kiu: Boosting birth rates – is very much down to individuals to choose to do this. Would this fit with one’s lifestyle, life expectations? Sure child tax relief, etc could be incentives … but best approach is the balance of both immigration and boosting natural birth rates here. Multi-prong strategy, to have best chances to realize desired outcomes.

12:13:51          From Angela Kiu: It is OK to expand a bit – key is to integrate transportation and land use planning and design, with strong applications of sustainable design and development

12:14:00          From Bruce Newbold: Boosting birth rates won’t work – there are multiple examples of countries or regions that have tried this to no avail. To grow population – irrespective of aging – must happen through immigration

12:14:30          From Angela Kiu: @ Bruce – yes, correct

12:14:54          From Abigail Slater (SCT): (Read Kate Raworth-Donut Economics)…the growth of GDP is the driver and no one has questioned this.

12:15:05          From Carmichael Polonio: https://timjackson.org.uk/ecological-economics/pwg/

Recommend this book

12:15:10          From Karandeep Singh to All panelists: As an immigrant myself, I’d like to emphasise how difficult it is to get your hands on opportunities that exist in the market. Despite going through the drill of networking and connecting, showcasing our qualifications and abilities, I know so many who struggle for such long periods of time to land deserving jobs. Whether it is because – companies end up hiring internally – there are enough job seekers from Canadian schools who immigrants are competing against – in addition to SO many other factors. Seeking a job has become a complicated science which is draining mentally, emotionally and financially..

12:15:15          From Abigail Slater (SCT): Kate Raworth has questioned the endless drive for growth at the expense of everything else.

12:15:23          From Angela Kiu: @m Lisa – yes, that is totally true – the reality and pragmatism we need to have in place.

12:15:44          From Brian Moss: Most professions ‘guard’ new entries to their fields and have for many decades .. doubt it will change easily ..

12:15:57          From Karandeep Singh: As an immigrant myself, I’d like to emphasise how difficult it is to get your hands on opportunities that exist in the market. Despite going through the drill of networking and connecting, showcasing our qualifications and abilities, I know so many who struggle for such long periods of time to land deserving jobs. Whether it is because – companies end up hiring internally – there are enough job seekers from Canadian schools who immigrants are competing against – in addition to SO many other factors. Seeking a job has become a complicated science which is draining mentally, emotionally and financially..

12:15:58          From A A: On newcomers, this is a unique place where this label exists. If this is a category, then there must be a reason for the segregation that’s signaled by the category

12:16:08          From Emily Wall, CUI Staff: Please help CUI improve its CityTalk programming with a short post-webinar survey – https://bit.ly/3ceLSN9

12:16:09          From Canadian Urban Institute: CUI is looking for volunteers to help us continue the great work of our COVID-19 initiatives. If you can help, please contact us at covidresponse@canurb.org

12:16:11          From Catherine Manson: How do we ensure that the Government has these conversations – Can the Senate take a lead as the Government will try to defend protecting economy and backlash on Country Debt?

12:16:39          From Carmichael Polonio: But, will COVID also cause a migration spike, in a few months from now, when emerging countries are having difficulties….

12:16:40          From Amy Calder: If boosting birth rates “won’t work” then what happens after a few generation when immigrants are having less children too…? Just more immigrants? Do you see the challenge here?

There is definitely a need for balance, but if newcomers are finding it challenging to live given restricted economic opportunities upon coming here, then how are they going to continue to contribute towards population growth into the future?

12:17:38          From A A: wondering whether newcomers/ immigrants are included in plans for newcomers / immigrants?

12:17:50          From John Meyer: Size of the commercial economy is irrelevant. per capita income is the indicator of a healthy economy. The break even point for tax positive jobs is about $43.000 annually. Job quality matter not the number of jobs created since deficits go up and the social safety net degrades on the backs of a growing pool of working poor.

12:18:00          From Samira Farahani: what about some unfair use of the system by immigrants? all those who are making million, millions of money back home and come here claimimng no income and unfortunately use the tax money to get family support services as much as they could

12:18:08          From Abigail Slater (SCT): Politicians are afraid to tell the reality. the anti-tax movement has delivered a message that is very hard to counter. the value of taxes has never been effectively communicated.

12:18:57          From Jiya Benni: @Karandeep – and Covid has made it all even harder!

12:19:39          From Melda Tanrikulu: I studied urban planning for 9 years + 14 years of experience.

12:19:49          From Canadian Urban Institute: You can find transcripts and recordings of today’s and all our webinars at

https://canurb.org/citytalk

12:20:37          From Melda Tanrikulu: The country accepted me as a skilled worker but my skills are not considered. I am happy to go back to my work in the restaurant, but is this sustainable?

12:20:55          From Abigail Slater (SCT): The entire health care (long term facilities)needs to be reformed as well…wages that reflect the essential service and safe conditions for the workers and the residents.

12:21:02          From A A: indeed, and that expansion of the category of licensed healthcare workers can be applied to more sectors

12:21:23          From Sandy Agnew to All panelists: Yasir is wrong. Continuous growth forever is not possible. We already live beyond the capacity of the planet to support our lifestyle. Look at the global perspective.

12:21:50          From Jelena Garic: @Abigail That’s fair and there are benefits to that, but that doesn’t mean the numbers of membership can’t be increased. Or having a system to incorporate new comers into the system in a more fair way – providing programs for training until ready to practice here, etc.

12:22:34          From Lorne Cutler: One of the main attractions to moving to Canada is the hope of better economic circumstances for either them or their children. Not growing the economy will only result in the pie staying the same size or even shrinking with the number of people trying to eat the pie only getting bigger. How will not growing the economy result in even the current levels of immigration let alone higher levels. We saw in 2008/2009 when the economy only contracted by 2% how many people entered into a dire economic state?

12:22:36          From A A: if healthcare is so vital and repercussions fatal, other industries have less fatal consequences

12:23:26          From Abigail Slater (SCT): @Jelena…I agree with you, I am only reflecting the closed nature of credentials. Not saying it is right…the medical system only has limited spaced for medical students (for example) and increasing credentials means higher funding by governments…so it is both political and economic…it is a finite pool of funding.

12:25:14          From Angela Kiu: We hope that Covid-19 will bring about a lot of realization of gaps and allow for a new world order for better distribution of equity for all, in every sense for all.

12:25:25          From Emily Wall, CUI Staff: Please help CUI improve its CityTalk programming with a short post-webinar survey – https://bit.ly/3ceLSN9

12:25:46          From Jelena Garic: @Abigail Totally – didn’t think you were agreeing or disagreeing. I think the current limits are what we need to look at, moving forward. I think we need to redefine the capacities in that system.

12:27:02          From Canadian Urban Institute: Keep the conversation going #citytalk

12:28:15          From Abigail Slater (SCT): @Jelena “thumbs up”

12:28:39          From Jelena Garic: For population growth – there’s also the issue of climate change. The economic benefit of growth is evident, but I think there’s also this interesting perspective of what happens to climate targets with a reduced population. That’s not to say we can’t continue to have immigration, because our current population is declining, but another interesting talking point.

12:29:08          From Jelena Garic: @Abigail haha, *thumbs up*

12:29:21          From John Meyer: We need a green reset, not an attempt to rebuild the economy of the 1950s in the environmental reality of 2020s.

12:29:23          From Angela Kiu: Thank you to all the great speakers for sharing today … and everyone at this webinar. Take care all! Stay safe!!:)

12:29:52          From Jelena Garic: @John Meyer Totally!

12:30:30          From Shannon Markle: Thank you for a great discussion today!

12:30:43          From Patrick Kyba: Thanks all!

12:30:51          From Lynda Chubak: Thank you!

12:31:09          From Charles Crenna: Thank you organizing this!

12:32:03          From Abigail Slater (SCT): It’s a big country!

12:32:08          From leen al zaibak to All panelists: Wonderful webinar, thanks to all the participants!

12:32:12          From stephanie gonos to All panelists: thank you.

12:32:12          From Queenie Choo: Thank you for your time

12:32:18          From Jelena Garic: Thank you!

12:32:25          From Emily Wall, CUI Staff: Please help CUI improve its CityTalk programming with a short post-webinar survey – https://bit.ly/3ceLSN9

12:33:06          From Joseph Jozsa to All panelists: timely . . .valuable … future oriented .. there is hope.

12:33:09          From Kellie Grant: Thank you everyone – this conversation provides food for thought

12:34:05          From Francis Wallace to All panelists: Thank you.

12:38:20          From Canadian Urban Institute: Please leave your final comments in the chat – we will be closing in a couple of minutes.