Immigration Canada

Are Newer Immigrants to Canada Healthier?

Kalen Smith | August 10, 2011 | 0 Comments

A recent study suggests that long-time residents of Canada may not be as healthy as new immigrants. This study was conducted by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Services. It compiled data from 1996-2007 on immigrants who came to Canada from different parts of the world. The research focused primarily on residents in Ontario. More than a quarter of a million people come to Canada every year. Immigrants have been coming to Canada for decades.

canadian immigration Are Newer Immigrants to Canada Healthier?

The findings suggested that people who have been living in the area for a long period of time were at higher risk of contracting cardiovascular diseases. Maria Chiu said these findings are nothing new. She argues that doctors have known for years that the health of their immigrant patients has deteriorated after they moved to Canada. What health experts did not know was how changes in patients’ health was affected by their ethnicity. This was a question that was specifically addressed in the study.

The Institute for Clinical Evaluative Services wants answers to the new question it faces. One mystery is why these factors are so heavily influenced by ethnicity. Chinese immigrants who had been living in Canada for many years were much more likely to contract cardiovascular diseases than Chinese immigrants who just arrived to the country. The effect was also noticed in other ethnic groups, although not as strongly in South Asians.

The study compared residents who had been living in Ontario for 15 years with those who had been moved to Canada within the past 15 years. The study involved over 160,000 participants. Of those subjects, about 150,000 were white. The remaining 9,000 subjects were evenly distributed between Chinese, South Asian and black subjects.

The study also concluded that individuals with other risk factors such as diabetes or obesity were more likely to experience a high likelihood of developing heart disease.

Researchers argued that new clinical practices continue to reduce the mortality rates of citizens who develop coronary diseases or diabetes. However, they are perplexed by the higher incidences of the diseases.

Although the study is concerning to many people, researchers hope to have some answers in the future. They believe that better understanding the correlation between the length of time someone lives in Canada and their likelihood of developing health problems will help them implement better health policies in the future. Vincent Bowman is the research director of the Heart and Stroke Foundation in Ontario. He is optimistic that answers will be found. He says: “Having a better understanding of how length of time living in Canada impacts cardiovascular risk factors will help us to develop tailored prevention strategies to ensure the long-term heart health of all Canadians.”

The study by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Services sheds some more light on a mystery that has baffled Canadian physicians and epidemiologists for years. Now, they are also asking themselves why certain ethnic groups experience a more dramatic change in their health over time. Hopefully, additional studies will explain this phenomenon in more detail.

Making immigration work well

Manitoba Legislature, meeting place of the Leg...

Image via Wikipedia

A global poll by Ipsos shows Canadians are way ahead of their international counterparts when asked about their views on immigration, with almost twice the respondents agreeing it has had a good impact on their country. But even at that, only 40 per cent said immigration was good. And 56 per cent said they believe immigration is too much of a burden on social services. Canadians should get to know their neighbours a little better.

Chances are immigrants are living not far from most of us. At 20 per cent, the immigrant population is at a 75-year high in the country.

It is a fallacy, a misperception perhaps drawn from sensational crime headlines in cities and cultural tension in other western nations, that immigrants are a burden. Good research has underscored repeatedly the success story of immigration for Canada. University of Toronto immigration expert Jeffrey Reitz notes that, statistically, newcomers use fewer social services than other Canadians.

With a declining birth rate over the decades, Canada's population would have slipped without immigration and the economy would have suffered. Since the mid-1990s, immigration has become the primary driver of population growth. Since 1998, Manitoba's homegrown provincial nominee program has staunched a worrisome net out-migration. More than 10,000 immigrants funnel into the province each year now.

While much of Canada sees immigrants leaving for Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, Manitoba's program retains 80 per cent and more of its nominees, who are selected for their ability to adjust to local labour-market demands, connections to the community and employability. A 2008 survey of 100 of the program's immigrants revealed that 85 per cent find work almost as soon as they hit the ground, rising to 88 per cent after three to five years.

Manitoba immigrants "make it" here, integrating in the community, improving their family incomes. While the average income of about $50,000 was $10,000 lower than the Manitoba average, fewer immigrants lived on less than $30,000. In fact, the picture of the survey conducted for the Manitoba government showed that the lower average income did not hold the nominee immigrants back from getting ahead and putting down roots in the community: Some 76 per cent owned their own homes and 73 per cent said they had no difficulties meeting monthly expenses.

Immigrants tend to earn less than native-born Canadians with similar education levels, but that difference disappears with successive generations. This reflects the age-old immigrant story in this country. Manitoba's particular success -- immigrants here are employed at higher rates than in Canada generally -- is derived from a keen understanding of what the economy needs and the tailoring of settlement programs to ensure that language and skill training supports the determination of newcomers.

The fact that those selected to land in Manitoba are not heading to Canada's mega-metropolises shows this province has made the wise decision to pursue higher immigration levels, which has been very good to Manitoba. Investing in people pays off.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 10, 2011 A10

Transatlantic poll shows Canadians have much to learn about immigration

By DOUGLAS TODD 8 AUG 2011 COMMENTS(9) THE SEARCH

Filed under: Canada, Muslims, immigrants, Europeans, Anders Breivik

Canada is one of the few developed countries where immigration is not one of the hot elements on the political stove.

Even though Canada has among the highest proportion of immigrants of any country, a recent cross-Atlantic opinion poll of eight countries found Canadians are most satisfied with how they're integrating immigrants.

However, the sweeping poll of most of the biggest countries in Europe and North America may stimulate a more sophisticated discussion of immigration among Canadians, who admit they tend not to closely follow the issue.

Many Canadians feel self-satisfied about their tolerant approach to immigrants compared to Europeans and Americans, who have experienced the rise of hard-right groups opposing the arrival of Muslims, Hispanics and others.

Last month's sickening slaughter of 77 Norwegians, most of them teenagers, by anti-immigration crusader Anders Breivik only serves to heighten the feeling that Canadians are relatively at peace with their country having the world's highest immigration rate per capita.

But the poll by Transatlantic Trends suggests Canadians may have surprising things to learn from Europeans and Americans, who tend to be bolder about discussing the pros and cons of immigration.

For starters, the respected polling organization reveals that Canadians don't really follow immigration news, not as much as people in the Netherlands, United States, Germany or Italy.

Indeed, even though Canadians are the least inclined to disapprove of how their politicians are handling immigration, only 44 per cent of Canadians say they follow immigration issues closely, compared to 62 per cent of Americans and 69 per cent of the Europeans surveyed.

This lack of awareness could be a result of immigration virtually never rising as an election issue in Canada, since the major parties all support robust immigration levels and are worried about losing immigrants' votes.

One of the many issues Canadians are ignorant about is the country's immigration levels.

For instance, the average Canadian believes 39 per cent of the population is made up of immigrants.

The real Canadian figure is 20 per cent. That compares to 14 per cent in the U.S., 13 per cent in France, 11 per cent in Britain and the Netherlands and eight per cent in France.

Politically speaking, in addition, Canadians may be surprised to learn that worry about immigration is by no means confined to right-wing Europeans.

Even though right-wing Dutch are the most likely to oppose immigration policies, in Germany and France the strongest opposition comes from leftwing voters, according to Transatlantic Trends, which surveyed 1,000 people in each of the eight countries.

The Transatlantic poll also challenges the widespread misconception in Canada that Europeans are mostly worried about newcomers who are Muslim.

In fact, the Dutch, Italians and the French are no more likely to be skeptical about integrating Muslims than any other foreigner.

The poll reveals it is Canadians, Americans and Spaniards who are most inclined to think that Muslim immigrants are doing worse than other fresh arrivals at mixing into society.

The international poll also counters the comfortable belief held by many Canadians that Europeans don't want to bring in more immigrants because they are less generous of heart.

But the survey reveals that Germans, Dutch, Spaniards, Italians and French are actually more ready than Canadians to say that "all immigrants, both legal and illegal, should have access to state-sponsored health care."

It's not as if Canadians aren't trying to count the costs of immigration, either. A majority of people in every country surveyed, including Canada, believe that immigrants benefit more from health and welfare services than they contribute in taxes.

With the global economy appearing to head into another downturn, there may be reason for Canadians to heed the Transatlantic poll's warning that attitudes toward newcomers tend to harden whenever individuals find their personal finances suffering.

Brazil: Canada’s new preferred partner

President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva ...

Image by World Economic Forum via FlickrCanadians’ knowledge of Brazil may be as scant as the country’s famed micro-thong swimwear. But somehow the South American economic giant has edged out traditional favourites such as Mexico and Argentina as Canada’s new preferred partner in the hemisphere. What accounts for Brazil’s ascendancy?

Does the country’s sensual exuberance and globe-strutting confidence act as a release valve for all that northern restraint? Is Brazil Canada’s alter ego?

“There is a good vibe about Brazil, but what exactly appeals to Canadians – we cannot put our finger on,” says Carlo Dade, executive director of the Canadian Foundation for the Americas (FOCAL).

FOCAL just released a study that found more than 61 per cent of Canadians have a favourable opinion of Brazil, compared to 39 per cent for Mexico, 41 per cent for Panama and 57 per cent for Argentina. Only the U.S. is seen in a more positive light, according to the 2011 poll, conducted with the Association for Canadian Studies. The survey shows Brazil scores even higher among Canadian men than women. Brazil’s overall favourable rating increased 20 per cent in the last four years, while Mexico’s favourable rating fell.

Of course, it helps to have one of the most popular politicians in the world, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the charismatic, bearded former president, as your global ambassador. It also helps that Rio de Janeiro is 8,249 km from Ottawa. Canada actually has fewer immigration, trade and tourism links with the country than with many others in the hemisphere. And this ignorance works in Brazil’s favour. The country’s brand is unsullied by images of migrants trying to flee to el norte, or cartel kingpins dumping headless corpses.

Few Cariocas, as residents of Rio are known, claim asylum in Canada on the grounds of persecution due to sexual orientation. There are no jihadis from Salvador or Sao Paulo. And while Rio’s favelas (slums) undoubtedly produce plenty of scary thugs (Brazil’s homicide rate is higher than Mexico’s), the crime problem doesn’t have the same resonance in Canada as Mexico’s drug wars. Nor does the media publish as many negative stories about Brazil, the study found.

That helps to keeps the image clean. When Canadians stop to consider Brazil, it’s all pristine white sand beaches, Carnival, soccer legend Ronaldinho, supermodels like Gisele Bundchen, and music: Joao Gilberto; Caetano Veloso; Milton Nascimento; Xuxa; and indie rock sensation Cansei de Ser Sexy (CSS).

Of course, for those who dig deeper, there is more to admire than just beaches and gorgeous, buff men and women.

In the past decade, the country has made strides in reducing poverty, racial discrimination and inequality, with 30 million people joining the middle class in the past five to six years. Brazil is a manufacturing giant, a BRIC country that will host the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. “This is the new Brazil. They’re socially innovative and creative, and they’re feeling confident these days,” notes Ted Hewitt, a University of Western Ontario professor, and leading Canadian authority on Brazil. “Canadians don’t realize it, but Brazil is everywhere: they own Labatt’s, make our planes, produce the nickel for our coins and the cement for our driveways.”

Even Brazil’s gritty side seems, somehow, hopeful: favela tours as a model of sustainable tourism; police pacification units “taking back” slums and re-establishing order.

Of course, the country still faces many challenges. It has one of the highest homicide rates in the Americas, and high inflation. It needs to invest more in education, and root out corruption in public institutions. President Dilma Rousseff must manage the country’s explosive growth in a sustainable and equitable way. But this, like everything else about Brazil, is a good problem to have.

Provincial borders still barriers to doctors

Health-care professionals are still having difficulty moving across borders within Canada despite provincial governments' efforts to reduce barriers to labour mobility.

Provincial governments agreed in December 2008 to a deal that was supposed to make it easier for professionals to transfer their licences between provinces.

But some doctors say the colleges who are responsible for approving licences aren't respecting the provincial agreement. "This is something that was agreed amongst the politicians but it was not agreed amongst the physicians," said Dr. Rubens Barbosa, a Brazilian-trained anaesthesiologist working in Edmundston, N.B., who recently had an application to transfer his licence to Ontario rejected.

The responsibility for who does and doesn't become licensed is left up to bodies that are run by physicians in each province.

The problem is that these colleges "are reluctant to accept a law that was proposed by the politicians and they're doing whatever they can to prevent this from happening," said Barbosa.

Provincial governments were hoping the changes would help fill in holes in the skilled workforce. Many provinces — including Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba — are currently facing a shortage of doctors as many residents are unable to find a family physician.

About four million Canadians, or about 12 per cent of the population, don't have a family doctor, a 2009 poll conducted for the College of Family Physicians of Canada suggested.

A spokeswoman for the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons, the organization that rejected Barbosa's application, denied the charge that it doesn't respect the mobility law.

"The CPSO respects labour mobility," Kathryn Clarke wrote in an email.

But the body that represents colleges across the country said they are aware that those working to transfer special licences across provincial boundaries are still facing challenges.

Differing standards

The issue is that restrictions on special licences, which can include requiring the holders to be supervised by more experienced physicians and only allowing them to operate if the province has a shortage of the physicians' specialty, are not equivalent across provinces.

"We are working on how we could facilitate for them a mobility from one jurisdiction to another taking into account the fact that they don't have a full licensure," said Dr. Yves Robert, the president of the Federation of Medical Regulatory Authorities of Canada.

Robert said he expected a new agreement that would bring in a common set of standards for specially licensed physicians between provinces would be approved within a year.

The majority of physicians who practise with special licences in Canada are internationally trained, said Dr. William Lowe, a past president of the MRAC.

They usually use these as a stepping stone to becoming fully accredited and eventually helping to address the country's doctor shortages.

Barbosa said he has consulted with the Canadian Medical Protective Association, an organization that provides doctors with legal advice, and it is currently looking into the issue on his behalf.

Luce Lavoie, the director of communications for CMPA, did not confirm or deny that was the case. She also declined to comment on the overall issue of labour mobility for doctors because the organization has yet to issue a policy position on it.

Few approvals despite law

Numbers maintained by the colleges suggest the changes to the Agreement on Internal Trade, which was updated in April 2009 with the new labour mobility provisions, have done little to change the number of physicians moving from one province to another.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia has granted licences to about 250 applicants since April 2009, six of those under the labour mobility provisions.

"The numbers have not changed dramatically at all," said Bruce Thorne, manager of policy and communications for the college, referring to the approvals they've given since the new provisions were introduced.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta has approved five applicants under the new labour mobility provisions out of a total of about a thousand approved in 2009 and 2010, said spokeswoman Kelly Eby.

They have another 22 who are currently in the application process.

The Ontario college rejected 26 applicants who had applied under the labour mobility provisions between January 2010 and April 2011, said Clarke. Most of these people had restricted licences.

Many other licensing bodies don't maintain numbers showing how many applicants who applied under the labour mobility provisions have been approved or rejected.

Barbosa had applied under the inter-provincial mobility rules the provinces had promised would bring an end to the restrictions for physicians.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario rejected his application in December 2010.

Colleges are only required to accept an application under the labour mobility provisions if they have a similar category in their licensing process.

The Ontario college did not grant Barbosa a licence because they said there was no equivalent category in Ontario, a copy of the decision reached by the province's Health Professionals Appeals and Review Board reads.

But Barbosa disputed that claim, saying he already had a full licence he has been operating under for five years.

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