According to a recent survey, the majority of the immigrants in Canada lost their source of income and struggled to fulfill their basic needs during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Immigrants have been drastically affected due to the outbreak, not only in Canada but throughout the world. As per Statistics Canada, immigrants mostly work in the fields, which are hardly hit by the precautionary measures taken during the outbreak.
World Education Services, an assessment provider, held a survey in 2020 to understand the financial well-being of newcomers/immigrants in Canada during the pandemic. They conducted three surveys in April, June, and August. They were able to gather 7,496 responses in three surveys.
The result showed that most of the newcomers had lost their source of income and were struggling to attain the basic requirements of daily life. Of all the participants, around 14 percent have lost their jobs due to the outbreak, and 13 percent of them are working at reduced payout/hours. Almost 17 percent reported that their primary source of income was lost temporarily, but the other 6 percent lost it permanently. 1 out of 5 individuals is facing issues with their housing finance, and the number increases to 1 out of 3 when only international students are considered. 1/10th of them are struggling to even get the groceries and medicines.
Almost 50% of the people who lost their jobs/income did not receive any support from the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). CERB was launched to support the urgent financial needs of individuals and groups affected by the outbreak. Only 48% of the individuals received the benefit from CERB or Employment Insurance, which permanent residents were more likely to get the support.
The results also showed that many of the social service agencies are not getting approached by the majority of the impacted. Many migrants, permanent residents, and temp workers were not accessing employment or settlement help from such agencies. Some of them stated that they do not have an interest in contacting the agencies. Almost 50% of the temp workers and students don’t think that they can get the benefits. Around 19% of the permanent residents approached the agencies, and 12% wanted but did not know how to do that.
The survey pointed out three aspects that can be improved to help recover the financial status of immigrants. The government could start by boosting the permanent residence procedure for temp workers. They do not get the security benefit as they are not eligible for full legal protection. The temporary status makes them ineligible for any economic benefit too.
The precautionary lockdowns everywhere also reminded the fact that the Canadian government should intervene in settlement and employment services, especially for international students and temp workers. That is quite necessary to boost the transition of temp residents into permanent residents. The survey also revealed that not all migrants are knowledgeable of the perks they can avail. The government can take initiative and make them aware of the benefits that they are eligible for and how they can access the same.
The results also concluded that there is a need to revise the policies so that the migrants are not affected during the situations like this pandemic. There are opportunities, and they cause systemic issues in immigration.
“Viewed holistically, the economic vulnerability of the respondents in this study is linked to their employment in precarious, low-wage, and often essential work, reflecting the impact of gender, racialization, and the devaluing of international education and experience in the labor market,” the report says. “Policy interventions aimed at addressing these systemic issues across the Canadian economy—in the context of the pandemic, the recovery, and beyond—will contribute towards mitigating disproportionate negative impacts on immigrants, temporary workers, and international students.”
