CBC News announced Wednesday the launch of Welcome to Canada, a new series offering an in-depth look at the experiences and perspectives of newcomers to Canada.
A CBC press release says the stories featured in the series will bring context and analysis to the results of a new CBC-commissioned survey of 1,507 newcomers, conducted by market research firm Pollara Strategic Insights, and will roll out throughout January across all CBC platforms, including online at cbcnews.ca/welcometocanada.
The first segment in the Welcome to Canada series, “Experience not wanted”, examines underemployment among newcomers. Nearly nine in 10 respondents to the Pollara survey said they faced challenges when trying to get a job in Canada, with many not working in their field of expertise. In the segment, CBC News “looks into why skilled immigrants are still underemployed and talks to internationally trained doctors and industry experts about the barriers and how to fix the system,” the CBC press release says.
“Experience not wanted” airs Wednesday on CBC News Network and CBC Radio’s World Report, Your World Tonight at 6 p.m. (6:30 NT) on CBC Radio, and The National at 9 p.m. (9:30 NT) on CBC News Network and 10 p.m. on CBC. It will also be available to stream on The National’s YouTube channel.
Welcome to Canada continues Thursday with “Too many immigrants, not enough housing”, which delves into how eight in 10 newcomers say they’ve had an overall positive experience settling in Canada, but they report struggles in finding affordable housing that meets their needs. About half of survey respondents say they are satisfied with living in an affordable home.
Other key findings of the Pollara survey include:
- The main reason people chose Canada was for a better quality of life, better work and economic opportunities.
- Newcomers surveyed said they believe immigrants are good for Canada, but 82 per cent believe “Canada has accepted too many immigrants and international students with no planning for adequate housing, infrastructure, or having sufficient job opportunities.”
- Sixty-six per cent of newcomers recommend immigrating to Canada to friends and family, while 29 per cent said they do not.
- Sixty-seven per cent of newcomers said it costs too much to immigrate to Canada and they spent more than they expected, and 74 per cent said “only those with money can afford to immigrate to Canada.”
Photo borrowed from CBC’s Welcome to Canada website
