Monday, July 16, 2012
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Friday, July 6, 2012
Immigrants are modern reality: there is no survival without them
We are
living in a world which is turning into a global village day by day.
Communication technologies have changed the general psyche of young minds all
over the world. Globalization has not moved merchandise from one corner of the
world to another but it has opened gates for productive forces to move from one
country to other. Now, a Techie working in New Delhi knows about his work and
productivity and relative remuneration in Silicon. A Teacher/Nurse/Accountant knows
about their salaries in different parts of the world. We have seen a massive
traffic of merchandise and work force as well. It’s not possible to control
only one way traffic anymore. It was possible only in the traditional British
imperial era. Now the floating work force is an accepted reality worldwide.
It’s also a fall out of the uneven development model which is chosen by
different governments of the world.
According
to a recent report from United Nations, there are 214+ million immigrants in
the present world which is 64 million (43%) more from 150 million in 2000. Immigrants
constitute 3.1 % of the total population of the world which was 2.9% in 1990.
Almost 15 to 20% of these immigrants are illegal worldwide.
At the
present, no government is able to control immigration. The basic cause of this
drive is the rising aspiration of the people because they want to live a
peaceful, stable and prosperous life. Because of the economic disparity and profound
access to information through media and communication gadgets, people don’t
want to live in a world of stark disparities. USA attracts maximum influx of
immigrants from Mexico whose per capita income is $8920 in comparison to per
capita income of USA which is $47,240. We have the same scenario in Europe.
Spain attracts massive influx of immigrants from Morocco which is only 12 miles
away from its shores because of the stark differences between the per capita
incomes. People with $2790 per capita income try to sneak legally or illegally
to a land of $31,870 per capita income even at the risk of their lives.
In light
of the facts above, Canada, being a strong member of G8 cannot live without
immigrants due to its massive resources, area and less population however it does
not face the threat of illegal immigrants as the other big economies of the
world are facing. The credit goes to geographical conditions and to the
immigration policies as well.
Why
can’t we make this place more suitable for Immigrants? It’s a fact that we
cannot sustain without immigrants, so it’s an imminent call to make Canada a
better place for them and remove all its scorns in the way of an immigrant’s
life.
Toronto: A symbol of the decline of civilization’s human values?
Something
is wrong in Canada on the issue of immigrants. They show you something and what
you get in reality is completely different. Recently a Government Agency
conducted a survey and found out that more than 200 cabbies of Toronto are
either medical Doctors or PhDs. It’s official data and was publicized in all the
national newspapers. Earlier, there were some reports on the same issue when a
scribe found an Engineer/Doctor as a Taxi Driver and wrote a story. Everyone read
it, got amazed for a while and then moved on.
It’s time
to act now; these are not acceptable situations on the part of a highly
qualified worker when they are forced to waste their time. How much would a
Doctor have contributed to the nation if he was doing his designated job? If he
ends up making $150.00 per day while he has the capacity to make $1000.00 per
day, whose loss is it? It’s not his personal loss, it’s a national loss and
it’s a pure loss of the GDP. Moreover, it’s a human concern; it’s an issue of
our value system. How can anybody accept this degradation of valuable
qualification? How can anybody accept this contempt against a human being? We
should investigate this issue seriously right from its beginning. There must be
some flaws in our immigration application assessing system; otherwise we would
not have such large numbers of Doctors, Engineers and PhDs doing these kinds of
jobs right under our nose in Toronto.
Are we concerned about it? I accept the
argument about standard to some extent but it will never allow me to close all doors
for a highly qualified person and force him to do labor jobs or be a Cabbie. At
least I will see to it that he gets to be a good nurse, a pharmacist or a
medical attendant. Closing all related doors is a pointer towards our ill intention
which suggests that we are creating these conditions for them deliberately.
I can
also accept the plea of standard, that an Asian Science PhD holder is not
enough competent to teach at a university but I can’t believe that he is not
given the chance to even do it at a school. At least he should be given a chance
in Laboratories which have so many openings. An Engineer doing a labor job on
the minimum wages is not acceptable. Only a Criminal who is partial, full of
hatred and with a racial mind can force an Engineer to work as a laborer.
We
have to combat this ailment. We have to root out this crime from Canadian soils
if we want to call ourselves a civilized society; otherwise there is no difference
between the Arabian states and Canada. Both are running their economic growth
on the backs of immigrants. One kicks their ass when they hit the age of
retirement to keep their racial superiority and other invites them and gives
them constitutional rights as a citizen but their secret web does not allow
them to move fast and they are stuck at the wish of their masters.
Canada
has to think about whether they can afford to misuse their human resources
anymore. The government has to make some favorable, flexible policies to deal
with these situations and at the same time the Citizens have to show their
teeth to the rulers. Toronto is a place which is known for its human concerns like
the Slut Walk, Pride Parade, Art Movement, and Occupy Toronto which are to name
its unique brand of sensitivity, but its silence on this issue, is really shocking.
How can these Activists justify their cause if they do not act for ‘Doctors
Cabbies’? Or are they yet another brand of hypocrites?
Canadian English Accent: Does it have a racial bias?
I
wonder about the frowning faces over the different English accents. English is
spoken in more than half a dozen accents worldwide. Australian, British,
American and Canadian accents are the major ones and everyone has a silly proud
attached to their own accent. Language plays an important role while giving
instructions to the workers; communication is a vital issue between workers and
employers. A Canadian accent lover has a very rigid approach towards their accent,
particularly when they are facing a new immigrant worker. They expect the new
immigrants to speak the way they do. It plays an important part while doing
internal promotion of the staff. I see it as a tool. I see it as a hypocrite’s
device.
Scene
number one, when you go to a store like Best Buy, Future Shop, Wal-Mart and
interact with the staff, they try to satisfy you despite of your poor English
or accent. In some cases they will call a sales person of the same nationality
to communicate with the customer. You know why? - Because, they want to sell
their products. Scene number two, when you are an immigrant and asking for a
job in the same store, their attitude will change. Now they want you to speak
the way they do. This behaviour is not acceptable. Moreover it’s only a
technological issue now. We should have developed such a device which can
understand any language in the world and translate it into the required
language. Germany did it recently and they implemented it in a University which
translates the German lectures into English so that the students don’t have to
learn German in order to study in the University.
Canada
is stuck with its accent, showing its backwardness despite the fact that it is
a country for immigrants, made by immigrants and still open to immigrants. We
have to shun these kinds of trivialities in our professional behavior if we
want a respectable place in the world or want to be called a civilized society
in future.
Minimum Wage: A treacherous enemy of Canadian-American dream
About
half a million of immigrants, refugees, foreign workers who hit Canadian borders
are not passive about life; they are not dead men walking. They are alive,
young and full of dreams. They want to turn their dream of a perfect, stable,
prosperous and peaceful life into reality. They are the ones who contribute in
majority to the Canadian population growth rate which is 5.9% annually. He/she
is a hard worker which is evident by their resume and documents furnished for
immigration purpose. They were evaluated by following a procedure which
assessed them as the best candidates to be future promising Canadian citizens. How
can it be assumed that a person who is productive in some other part of the
world cannot be productive in Canada? In fact, he has to be more productive in
order to regain all the loss incurred due to his displacement. He has to be in
his best form (psychologically, emotionally and physically) to do his best in a
new country. He will definitely perform well if he gets a conducive, friendly
atmosphere to work and grow in.
Instead
of spending millions on futile Settlement Workers in the country, Government
should give benefits to the employers who hire new immigrants. They should be
given a tax benefit/relief in proportionate to the hired new immigrant worker.
Such policies will remove all negative environment opposed to immigrants which
compels them to think otherwise or work on a minimum wage which is a disgrace
to an immigrant. Minimum wage will keep him alive but will break him from
inside and eliminate his enthusiasm to be a part of a first world economy. Forcing
new immigrants to work on minimum wages is a treacherous farce of the Canadian-
American dream. It’s actually a trap just to keep him alive and allow him to
die without a home, car and household gadgets, all of which a common person
dreams of.
Pictures: Google
Bloodsucking Employment Agencies have to go
It is
very disheartening to know that anti-worker, anti-new immigrant; anti- human
work culture is being promoted in the entire Greater Toronto Area (GTA). There
are a few Companies who are hiring employees directly. More than 90% of Companies
are hiring through Employment Agencies. These Agencies do nothing - they just occupy
a room, put few chairs and start advertising on free web sites about the
availability of a job. They are the main source who supplies labor to the
Companies who don’t want to be responsible for various issues but want their
job to be done in an as professional manner as their full time workers but at a
lower wage.
The
Company pays the Agency and then the Agency pays the Workers. The Worker does
not know how much the Agency is getting from the Company in lieu of his work.
Most of the time it is minimum wage without any coverage or benefits as it is available
to a full time worker. I have seen people working for Agencies for years but
they were not hired by the Companies. They suffer a lot due to the lack of
medical coverage because working with an Agency does not provide them with this
option. I have seen several cases of new immigrants returning to their native
countries when they get sick and even for dental or eye care. It’s pathetic to
know that there is this kind of a deficiency in the Canadian system which can
easily be curbed but due to vested interest they are being overlooked at the
cost of poor immigrants. Companies are seemingly more interested in getting major
jobs done by Agency hired workers as they are free to say “No” any moment to
such a worker. It’s an open issue for research – What is the production of such
workers in the GTA or as a whole in Canada? What is its ratio in the GDP?
Canada
is known for having the highest Human Resources Staff in the world but it
having such practices available is in complete contrast of its ethos. They are
not only against the interest of labor but also against the national interest.
If they are gone, the Companies will be hiring its labor forces directly and
will definitely be paying more than the Agency. With more purchase power in
hands, the worker will not live in a rented house instead he will buy a house.
If he has a house, he will have to have a mortgage. To continue paying his
mortgage he will work with more devotion. So, it’s all about the money circulation
in the market which makes the economy grow. Shrinkage on the purchase power of the
worker will definitely have a negative impact on the economy. Employers have to
understand what they are gaining in short term by hiring a worker from an
Agency and what they are losing in long term and its implications for economy
and the country as well. Government should immediately ban all Employment Agencies
in the country, because it’s a loss making venture. The Companies will easily
absorb the entire Agencies’ guys who are basically from the Human Resource
department.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Call to make illegal- “Canadian Experience Shit”
May I
ask the employers, government officials, ruling party leaders, leaders of
opposition, had anybody asked this silly question in 1912 when Canada received the
highest (400,000) influx of immigrants? Canada has a history to grow on the
basis of immigrants and it’s supposed to be the only such country which
attracts the highest legal immigrants from every corner of the world. Who so
ever is sitting on the chair to decide about the employee and asking for
CANDIAN EXPERINECE is having a treacherous attitude toward Canadian history and
ethos. At least the latest immigrants are better than those who arrived in Canada
with a single coat and a suitcase, barely unable to afford food for a week. The
new immigrant is far better educated and has work experience of his related field,
has thousands of dollars in his pockets to survive for years than those who
were forefathers of the present employers. How can Canada suffer if they give a
new immigrant a job in his related field without applying the lunatic tactics
in order to save some skins if it survived by those who came here with less
money and education?
If someone is asking for a Canadian Experience, he should be considered not only anti- national but a contempt and threat to Canadian ethos, work culture, history and economy. I demand an immediate ban on this prevalent clause of Canadian employers. It has to end immediately since its anti-human and anti- Canadian ethos in terms and content. It’s an insult to the new comers in Canada and it forces them to do jobs below their standard. This is the most draconian, anti people prevalent racist clause which forces millions of new immigrants to work as laborers.
Photos: Google
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| Are the new immigrants worse than them? |
If someone is asking for a Canadian Experience, he should be considered not only anti- national but a contempt and threat to Canadian ethos, work culture, history and economy. I demand an immediate ban on this prevalent clause of Canadian employers. It has to end immediately since its anti-human and anti- Canadian ethos in terms and content. It’s an insult to the new comers in Canada and it forces them to do jobs below their standard. This is the most draconian, anti people prevalent racist clause which forces millions of new immigrants to work as laborers.
Photos: Google
System against the System
While
applying for Canadian immigration, you need to furnish your Resume, which is a
basic document which earns you a nod or refusal from the Immigration Officer.
Your Resume is the main document which finally gets you a Canadian Visa; other
supplementary documents like degree, bank statements, work experience, police
certificate are complimentary. You are most often devastated to know the very
resume is nothing when you arrive in Canada. Canadian Immigration Ministry
assesses you by following certain guidelines and allowing you to enter the
country and when you start looking a job on the basis of the same resume you
are told, “Sorry, you are zero”. This is a case of system against the system.
It’s nothing but a kind of trap which is made to help local School Industry and
Large Corporate supply chain management, warehousing and factory owners etc. Canada
receives about 250,000 new immigrants annually (apart from those about 30,000
Refugees and 180,000 Temporary Foreign Workers visas issued as an average every
year), few goes to these institutes for upgrades. Few return to their countries
and most of new immigrants end up with petty jobs. This is not by accident;
it’s actually a well defined policy of Canadian Government meant to benefit local
industry and business houses.
Photos: Google
Beginning of Litmus Test - Canadian Taste
A new comer has to open a
bank account, apply for Health card, Permanent Resident card, SIN card, driving
license and get their ward’s admission to a school. He/she has to be in touch
with Settlement Workers who will guide and help them to get all these jobs done
which usually takes three days time. Here again you get a quality interaction
while dealing with different Government agencies as they are warm, quick and
trouble free. We Indian or South Asian nationalities are often surprised to see
government officials working efficiently, without taking any under or over the
table bribe; you really feel that you are in a different world in which humans
are efficient, honest and warm. The real Litmus test begins when you start
looking for a job. Settlement Workers assess your degrees, experience and
efficiency then advise you what to do next. Most of the time you are required
to upgrade yourself by joining a local school or university and earning a
certificate before jumping into the job market.
I have seen the height of
Canadian hypocrisy when I witnessed a Californian white guy being tested for
his Language assessment. He was a Computer Analyst and had worked for several
years in Silicon Valley based Company like Intel, with vast working experience
in Hong Kong, China, etc. The second attached devise is Canadian Experience.
You will not get a good job unless you have local working experience. The
system is built in such a way that they will make you think that your degrees/experience
is nothing for them so you need a local certificate/degree/diploma. Most of the
colleges/universities have funding facilities but as a new immigrant you have
money in your accounts so you hardly get this State Fund for your further
education unless you do some tricks in your bank account. You fall in a trap
like situation, either you invest your hard earned money which is dwindling day
by day in education or you end up with minimum wage labour jobs. Minimum wage
jobs are the reality for 80-90% new immigrants who decide to stay in Canada
otherwise, high profile ranked professionals like Doctors, Engineers and
Professors-Teachers, just land here and returns to their respective work place,
leaving behind their kids and wife. Moneyed categories of such professionals
buy a house to put their families but the main earning hand remains out of
Canada because his experience and qualifications are not accepted by the Hypocritical
system of Canada. I personally know many cases of when UK educated and trained
doctors are asked to qualify some silly examinations of Canada which are really
ridiculous and a waste of resources. Canada is practising this super refined racial
tactic when there is an acute shortage of Specialist Doctors and its citizens
are suffering from long wait if they need to see a specialist doctor.
Photos and graphics: Google
Photos and graphics: Google
Understanding the Canadian System: Encounter with stark realities
Photos: Google
Medical Call: Means you are through and the Landing
We
received a Medical call in the middle of 2008 and a report was submitted for
the same. It was clear by now that we had to start thinking of ourselves as
Canadian immigrants. From that moment onwards I began feeling alienated to
Dubai and closer to Canada. I started researching about Canadian life and the struggles
and experiences of new a comer. Now, I was more vocal with those contacts in
Dubai who had already landed in Canada and had come back on their jobs. I was
mentally prepared to take head all the challenges ahead in Canada which I presumed
were going to be a tough fight. We faced last minute hitches in 2008 when we came
to know that we had to do our medical again. The final medical was submitted in
January 2009 and our case was approved in September 2009. We got our visa in
the first week of October with a validity of one month. So, we landed in the
great land of opportunities on October 30, 2009. Our immigration case was
finalised in 1280 days which was about 500 days more than the average time
under Federation Skilled Worker category.
Photo: Google
Photo: Google
Dubai: A story of high structures, low human values
All the great
achievements of Dubai were a thrill for every new comer, visitor or a resident
worker but I was more concerned about its shanties where hundreds of thousands
of construction workers were forced to live in dismal conditions. I was full of
contempt with the behaviour of local Arabs with immigrants and the way the
Government was bribing them to live like parasites. They were simply living at
the cost of hard work of immigrants without doing anything on their own. Hardly
high school graduates, the local nationals were awarded good jobs in Govt.
sectors or the private companies where they would chat for hours on their
premium phones with pleasure, displaying their fancy branded dresses splashed
with costly perfumes and most of the work load was to be accomplished by their
sub-ordinates who were mostly South Asian. It was the worst form of modern
human slavery and most often I was reminded by history when slaves created the
first human civilization in Egypt, that was forced slavery in contrast to the
modern slavery in Dubai where people from neighboring countries like India, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Philippines, Yemen, Sudan, Syria, Egypt, etc. came to accept this
voluntarily.
Photos: Google
New Immigrants of Canada: It’s not a paradise nor close to the American Dream
While cruising through
the lucid Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai (United Arab Emirates) on one afternoon amid
sweltering heat of August 2005 with my then Boss in his Land Cruiser, he threw
a spanner out of the blue, “Why don’t you apply for immigration to Canada? You
will have a better life and your daughter will get the best education and on
the top of it, you will be living in a first world country”. He further
explained the futility of the gulf state(s) where working class immigrants do
not have a promising future. They will be sent back to their native country
once they hit the retirement age unless they have big money or business or
great fortune there.
I was aghast on his off
the subject remark which alarmed me whether he was thinking to sack me as I was
doing a non-productive job in his Trading Company as an Import-Export and
Transport Manager but later I realised that he was knowingly or unknowingly
speaking truth and was correct on my side. After a short discussion with my
wife, we took a decision and applied for immigration in the start of 2006 and
received the crucial File Number in March same year. I did not have big money
nor a fortune or a business to feel comfortable about the future; furthermore
my descent and sense of critique against Islam and religion as such were
reasons that I could not associate myself with the land of Dubai. Dubai was
booming during those times; newspapers, electronic media were busy announcing
mind blowing projects after projects. They were all for world fame; the tallest
building of the world was commenced few kilometers from my office and it became
an attraction to see its structure grow on a daily routine.
Photos: Google
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