Toronto: Canada is a model to the rest of the
world of how to accept new immigrants and migrant workers,
according to a new report from the United Nations Development
Programme.
"All Canadians can be proud of what the report says about
Canada," David Morrison, the executive secretary of the
United Nations Capital Development Fund, said in his report.
The report, entitled "Overcoming Barriers: Human Mobility
and Development," argues that immigration should be viewed not
as a scourge, but as beneficial to both the countries that
migrants move to and the ones they leave behind.
The report notes that many nations make it both difficult
to leave and difficult for new immigrants to enter. The costs
of moving from Vietnam to Japan, for example, are six times
the annual income per capita.
"In one in 10 countries, the costs of a passport are
about 10 per cent of the money you could expect to make on an
annual basis," Morrison said.
"So just preparing to become a legal migrant can be
burdensome, which is why we have so many people migrating
through illegal channels."
Canada, on the other hand, is much more welcoming, and
has generally fair immigration policies.
"The report really singles out Canada as a model as a
receiving country," Morrison said.
Bureau Report
First Published: Thursday, October 08, 2009, 20:55