Having revolutionized the Canadian immigration system, handling immigration fraud and assessing immigration with the economic requirements on the nation, federal minister for immigration, citizenship and multiculturalism, Jason Kenney is all set for the next challenge- social integration of newcomers in Canada. Many believe that this is an ambitious project and more difficult than anything attempted so far. However, government sources say this is high on the agenda during the next phase starting shortly.
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Minister Kenney strongly believes that social integration was linked to economic growth on the country. The minister said they were interdependent and cannot exist individually. He also said a newcomer could have the best resume but face difficulty in finding a job if he has poor language standards or lacks confidence to interact with other at the work place. Therefore, social integration is necessary considering the current market trends in Canada.
Minister Kenney stated that reforming the immigration policy was necessary to compete at the global level. He added that this has been largely achieved by altering the selection criteria under various schemes proposed by the immigration department. Government bodies have been created to deal with cases pertaining to immigration fraud and the integrity of the Canadian immigration policy has been achieved. Minister Jason Kenney said the new immigration policies are focused at the job market in Canada. Minister Kenney is also credited by the media to take the multicultural component more seriously than his predecessors. His presence at important gatherings and festivities has earned him the admiration of several minority communities in Canada.
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said it is essential to create a bond of trust between the immigrant communities and the government. Besides this, getting a first-hand experience of new immigrants helps them in the formulation of specific policies for the benefit of Canadians. The information he had collected over the months aided him in the implementation of new immigration policies. He said the common problem was unemployment and failure to adapt to the new environment in Canada. Due to this, many immigrants are forced to take up meager jobs to survive in the country. A recent study showed that highly qualified immigrants were forced to drive cabs due to lack of employment opportunities.
As it stands, certain ethnic groups live in the same neighborhood because of the social support they receive. As a result, their children are not exposed to social diversity in Canada. This could be a hindrance to social integration. Jason Kenney has been a visionary and had a clear idea about how he could tackle the most sensitive matters in the country. Nonetheless, Jason Kenney could be the most controversial federal minister of citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism ever in the History of Canada.
Undoubtedly, his immigration policies have worked well and he has gained good reputation of the immigrant population residing in Canada. However, the bottom line remains that reforms have to be introduced by the immigration department that aim at social integration of newcomers in Canada.
