UAE | Visa
Discrimination: 'Lost generation' of immigrants
Canadians take immense pride in their dedication to multiculturalism and in providing opportunities for all. However, many immigrants experience another side of life in Canada. Systemic employment discrimination has meant a generation of immigrants is already lost.
- By Nilofar Ahmadzadeh, Special to Gulf News
- Published: 00:00 June 23, 2006
Toronto: Canadians take immense pride in their dedication to multiculturalism and in providing opportunities for all. However, many immigrants experience another side of life in Canada. Systemic employment discrimination has meant a generation of immigrants is already lost.
"With its small population of 32 million people, a large country like Canada cannot afford to lose or undervalue its immigrants," says Morteza Jafarpour, Executive Director of the Hamilton-based Settlement and Integration Services Organisation (SISO).
While numerous factors contribute to the dissatisfaction felt by many immigrants, Jafarpour says the major problem is "discrimination in accessing jobs".
It is precisely these reasons which led to the birth of SISO in 1993. It identified workplace discrimination at a systemic level.
"For example, a qualified doctor can move to Canada, and then be blocked by provincial licensing agencies to practice his profession," says Jafarpour.
According to recent government statistics, there are 2,000 doctors in the province of Ontario who are underemployed, while Ontario suffers one of the worst shortages of physicians in recent history.
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