Konferenzbericht (PDF-Dokument, 3 MB) - SID

Wissen wandert
democracies has changed significantly over the past
four decades. These changes are most visible in large
metropolitan centres. The most recent figures of the
2006 Canadian census, for instance, show that 96 per-
cent of immigrants live in a handful of Census Metropoli-
tan Areas whereas only 70 percent of the Canadian
population resides there. As immigrants tend to congre-
gate in a handful of urban centres, they end up facing
similar challenges: They tend to be disproportionately
likely to make below-average incomes and to be unem-
ployed, underemployed or occupationally ill-matched.
This is a presentation about the challenges immigrants
face, in particular in finding meaningful employment, a
matter that is closely related to the recognition of cre-
dentials, and the way Canada and its provinces have
been responding to this challenge.
First, I shall look at the general immigration trends and
their potential. Second, I shall then look at the particular
challenges immigrants face, the way the-se challenges
have changed in recent years, and the extent to which
these changes are a function of policy choices. Third, I
shall provide an overview of some of the particular chal-
lenges immigrants face in obtaining meaningful em-
ployment and having their credentials recognized, and
some specific measures in Vancouver, Toronto, and
Halifax that have proven particularly successful. Fourth,
I shall discuss the role post-secondary education and
institutions play in mitigating or aggravating the situation,
what measures have made a difference, and what
changes one might consider in this sector. In this con-
text, I will also reflect briefly on the way the accreditation
of professional qualifications works in Canada. Finally, I
shall conclude with some summative reflections on pos-
sible lessons the Canadian experience might hold for
Berlin.
Immigration in Context
Germany is an immigrant country. A quarter of the popu-
lation that resides within Germany‟s borders was not
knowledge migrates
born on that territory (although OCED data only captures
12.9 as foreign-born because it excludes refugees and
German settlers at the end of the Second World War).
Over half a million people come to Germany on an an-
nual basis. But almost as many leave Germany every
year! The fact that so many people leave Germany
annually should make us wonder why they opt not to
stay in the first place. Perhaps their circumstances of
(un/der)employment have much to do with their decision
to leave? Remedying this situation, then, is not just a
matter of equity, human rights, and integration. It is
essential for a country with low fertility that is clamouring
for skilled labour. Rather than going out and trying to
attract skilled labour, Germany might do well at ensuring
that those people who have already opted to come here
actually stay.
Prof. Christian Leuprecht
In Canada, the circumstances of immigrants have taken
a curious turn in recent years. Canada has always done
exceptionally well at retaining its immigrants; very few of
them ever leave. As you probably know, Canada uses a
points system to assess immigrants‟ applications. The
objective is to pick those immigrants who hold out the
greatest promise. As a result of this system, of the over
200,000 immigrants who come to Canada every year,
over 60 percent to Canada come as “economic” immi-
grants (25 percent are family/compassionate immigrants
and 15 percent are admitted as refugees). What is more,
during an overhaul of the immigration act in the early
1990s, the points system was tightened. For instance, in
addition to the having to have a good grasp of one of
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