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Recent immigrants a 'huge burden' on taxpayers
By Jessica Murphy, Parliamentary Bureau

 

 

 

A researcher for a conservative think-tank says recent immigrants to Canada are a drain on the country's economy - and stand in the way of a robot revolution.

A new report from the Fraser Institute suggests immigrants who arrived in Canada between 1987 and 2004 received about $6,000 more in government services per person annually than they paid in taxes - costing taxpayers between $16 and $23 billion a year.

For a host of reasons, immigrants "are not doing as well economically" now as earlier waves of newcomers and often struggle to find high paying jobs.

"We're not against some immigration," said Herbert Grubel, who co-authored the report with Patrick Grady.

But he said the "mass immigration" system that sees Canada accept some 250,000 newcomers annually is stifling innovation.

Grubel pointed to Japan, a country with aging citizens where less than 2% of the population is foreign-born - the lowest percentage among developed nations.

Faced with an elderly population in need of care and a shortage of medical staff, Japanese inventors have created robots that dispense pills and help feed and bathe seniors in hospitals.

"This increases productivity of people who design robots and run robots," he said. "We're preventing all of that from taking place."

The researchers also reject the notion immigrants are needed to fill gaps in the workforce, and argue the market should set immigration levels.

A spokeswoman for Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said the department has noticed the economic trends highlighted in the report.

She also noted Kenney was moving ahead with a series of policy changes that aim to make it easier for immigrants to find work - changes supported in part by the Fraser report.

Researchers studying Canada's immigration system frequently point out the problem of matching skilled immigrants to jobs has been a long-standing one - but disagree on the remedies.

Research by the Conference Board of Canada - an economic think-tank - links immigration to higher foreign direct investment and innovation.

The Conference Board argues businesses are failing to take advantage of those skills by not hiring immigrants and not managing talent.

It wants Canada to boost annual immigration to 375,000 to maintain the workforce and economic growth.

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Originally Posted by Prashad:

Black American leaders such as Sharpton, Jesse, Farakhan etc would have brought out their supporters onto the streets to protest this report that is advocating the replacement of human beings (that are mostly minorities of color) with Japanese made robots.

Only in your head . . . 

The report relates to restricting the numbers of IMMIGRANTS who would be competing with native born citizens [in America - a large number would be BLACK] for scarce jobs and benefits.

 

The robots would, theoretically, reduce the need for low skilled immigrants, and have the added plus of needing no benefits (see the reference to Japan).

 

Re-read the article . . . what you have posted is based on ignorance. 

FM
Originally Posted by Prashad:

I hope a Japanese robot replace you soon.  You are acting very naive. This report stinks.  If these immigrants were Western European whites would these two white Canadians be advocating their replacement with cheap Japanese robots. Ask your self that question.

The merit(s) of the Canadian report is indeed a matter for debate.

 

What I addressed is my comment(s) was your gratuitous and stupid post regarding Black Americans, whose politics you obviously know little about . . .    

 


 

FM

Canada is importing 100,000 Irish Immigrants .

 

OTTAWA, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Two Western Canadian delegations of construction employers were in Ireland Tuesday with offers of as many as 100,000 jobs, a spokeswoman said.

The twice-yearly job fair in Dublin attracted a group from the British Columbia Construction Association and Alberta companies, while the second was from Saskatchewan, whose premier, Brad Wall is attending, the Globe and Mail reported.

Saskatchewan also paid for federal immigration officials to attend and process applicants. Wall is scheduled to host a reception for applicants Saturday, the Globe said.

Abigail Fulton, vice president of the British Columbia Construction Association, told the paper the domestic work force isn't filling the demand for burgeoning projects and Ireland is a natural recruiting source.

"We have a construction boom; they have a bust," she said.

Ireland went into economic distress four years ago and construction work has fallen by 60 percent since, the newspaper said.

The delegations are emphasizing an eighth of Canada's 34 million people have Irish ancestry and the two countries share a common language, the report said.



Read more: http://www.upi.com/Business_Ne...42827/#ixzz1pWaWQkft
FM

[b]..."For a host of reasons, immigrants "are not doing as well economically" now as earlier waves of newcomers and often struggle to find high paying jobs.

"We're not against some immigration," said Herbert Grubel, who co-authored the report with Patrick Grady...[b]

 

By and  large those  ' host of  reasons '  boils  down  to subtle racism and  envy of the obvious success of most  immigrants.  As I recall about  20 years  ago the  Fraser Institute  came  out  with  a  similar nonsensical report  that could stand  scrutiny when  it  was challenged  and  debated  publicly. Alberta's Industrialist, Peter Pocklington,  one of  the initial  proponent of  the report, publicly  admitted  that it was a flawed document.

FM

Ever so often in the US, especially during hard economic times, they come out with these studies that try to demonize the immigrants. Of course there are situations where this is true, like in the states bordering Mexico where Mexicans cross the border to give birth for free at taxpayers expense. And those who come to the nation specifically to bleed the system exploiting welfare and other social services.  

FM

Immigrants are hard working and they create jobs.  But they have to be given a level playing field.  If an immigrant is discriminated against and cannot find work that meet his or her potential and skills then how would that immigrant get access to or save the capital needed to start a business or invest in stocks.  So in the end the immigrants get the blame but it is the racists in societies that acts as barriers to preventing them from suceeding that are the real people that should be blamed.  In the end everyone suffers and the immigrants get blamed.

Wally

I think the government should find another source of employment for these workers before introducing full scale machines to cut cane.  For example; starting a new rum company (for rum exports only so it don't compete with DDL and DIH on the domestic market) can generate employment.

 

 

Taking the recommendations of some white guy or white woman who is sitting behind a desk in some western city and never had to deal with issues or situations discrimination or never experienced third world poverty is not the solutions for countries such as Guyana.

 

I am not racist against anyone I am just trying to put the situation into a context of reality.

Wally

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