'Future is more immigration,' says federal minister
Tuesday February 26 2008
By SUNIL RAO, Special to Brampton Guardian
http://www.bramptonguardian.com/printArticle/43978

Health care is fast becoming a political issue across Canada, with the earlier bid to protect the supply of people to the industry being "in complete contradiction" to what is happing on the ground today, a federal minister told journalists this week.

While emphasizing he did not want to touch off "a jurisdictional war with the provinces"-- since health care is totally a provincial issue-- Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, nonetheless hoped the provincial governments would "tell professional bodies to do the right thing".

Solberg was alluding to the severe shortage of health care professionals Canada today suffers even as foreign-trained doctors are forced into driving cabs for a living. He was fielding questions from the media at a closed-door meeting hosted by the Brampton Board of Trade.

The minister sought to play down federal differences with the provinces, with his responses-- delivered in an affable, disarming tone--coming only after repeated questioning on the issue. But he did voice concern at the increasing imbalance in health care, and at the several inequities that exist within the industry.

Asked why even doctors with U.S. degrees find it virtually impossible to get residencies in Ontario, he accepted some professional bodies are "shall we say less legitimate" than others. He also noted the federal government has responsibility for national provincial union.

On the issue of whether such occurrences send the wrong message to prospective immigrants, he acknowledged: "The future is more immigration." But he pointed out the government has in recent months taken several steps to redress the situation.

Investing heavily in skills training

"We've set up FCROs (Foreign Credentials Recognition Offices) throughout the country, and are investing heavily-- $1.2 billion-- in skills training and settlement services," Solberg said. "We're also investing $5.5 billion in social programs: affordable housing, daycare, child benefit support for parents and families, etc., and are working with the provinces on several of these initiatives."

The minister added his government had initiated several policy initiatives aimed at helping relative newcomers enter the mainstream and work to their potential, rather than remain underemployed.

He pointed out that right from the first step--- where prospective migrants are today given a more realistic idea of current Canadian conditions and the challenges they themselves might face even before they migrate--through to providing training and support on multiple levels after they land, the government has sought to integrate newcomers into the mainstream as soon as possible.

He added prospective migrants can even achieve certification in their profession before they land here, and also referred to two recent policy decisions that help foreign students and temporary workers eventually get permanent resident status.

"Are these enough? No-- but it's progress," Solberg asserted.

Earlier, incoming president at the board of trade, Carman McLelland, expressed his delight at being able to host the function at the board's premises. He takes over from Linda Ford this summer.

Rich-Poor "Digital Divide"Still Broad, Says United Nations (UNCTAD)
Wed Feb 6, 2008 2:10pm EST

LONDON (Reuters) - The digital divide between rich and poor countries is narrowing as mobile phones and Internet use become more available, but the developing world still lags far behind, a United Nations report said on Wednesday.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said mobile phone subscribers have almost tripled in developing countries over the last five years, and now make up some 58 percent of mobile subscribers worldwide.

"In Africa, where the increase in terms of the number of mobile phone subscribers and penetration has been greatest, this technology can improve the economic life of the population as a whole," it said.

The report said mobile phones were the main communication tool for small businesses in developing countries, reducing costs and increasing the speed of transactions. "Mobile telephony provides market information for, and improves the earnings of, various communities, such as the fishermen of Kerala, the farmers of Rajasthan, the rural communities in Uganda, and the small vendors in South Africa, Senegal and Kenya," it said.

Internet use and penetration continue to increase worldwide but developed countries still account for the majority of Internet users and have the highest penetration. "In 2002, Internet availability in developed countries was 10 times higher than in developing countries; in 2006, it was 6 times higher," the report said.

Developed countries also continue to lead Internet subscriptions worldwide, and the gap in terms of Internet broadband penetration has widened since 2002, it said. UNCTAD said the revolution in information and communication technology was spreading to the developing world but said more had to be done to make sure poorer countries reaped its opportunities in growth and development.

Among its recommendations were that countries invest more in human capital and infrastructure and better regulation of cyber laws.
(Reporting by Ibon Villelabeitia; editing by David Christian-Edwards)

Literacy Skills Of Canadians Across The Ages: Fewer Low Achievers, Fewer High Achievers
Stats Canada Report

In a recent study, David Green and Craig Riddell, economists at the University of British Columbia, investigate the distribution of literacy skills in the Canadian-born population and how those skills are generated. They also investigate the nature of literacy generation in the years after individuals have left formal schooling and are in the labour market, and the relationship between literacy and income. This article summarizes the results of their study.

They find, as have other studies, that literacy increases strongly (though at a decreasing rate) with years of schooling. Parental education levels also have a strong positive impact on literacy, with the mother's education being especially important.

More surprising is their finding that younger Canadians have lower levels of literacy than older Canadians had, at the same age and level of education. This was particularly true for more highly educated individuals. For example, using data from the International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey 2003, Green and Riddell report that, in 2003, a 35 year-old had approximately the same average literacy score as a 25 year-old in the same survey. This was not because the 25 year-old could expect to be at the same literacy level in 10 years, but because the 35 year-old had started from a higher literacy level at age 25 (that is, came from a more literate cohort) but lost some of their initial literacy skills during the time since they left school. This finding that older age cohorts graduated with higher literacy skills than younger people today holds across the age distribution.

Green and Riddell report that literacy plays a substantial role in terms of earnings generation. They find that a 25-point increase in the average literacy score has an impact on earnings that is equivalent to an extra year of schooling. They also find that about one-fifth of the typically measured impact of schooling on earnings arises because schooling generates higher levels of literacy.

Citing the work of Sen (1999),2 Green and Riddell note that literacy skills play a fundamental role in enabling individuals to function to their full capability in society and in the economy. Without literacy, individuals cannot take a full and equal role in social and political discourse: they become less than equal members of society without the basic tools required to pursue their goals. Thus, they argue, in any attempt to build a better society, the distribution and generation of literacy is of fundamental importance. An individual who improved his or her literacy might be expected to have better employment opportunities and command higher earnings leading to a higher level of well being. From a societal point of view, a more literate workforce may be better positioned to adjust to change and to adopt new technologies. Thus, improving literacy for individuals may have spill-over effects on the productivity of the economy as a whole.

Once individuals leave school, literacy acquisition is likely to be more difficult. Literacy skills may be acquired on the job if they are needed for carrying out tasks at work but otherwise further acquisition would require active investment in non-work hours. Indeed, it seems quite possible that individuals could lose literacy skills after they leave formal schooling if those skills depreciate when they are not used.

Read full report at
http://www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/81-004-XIE/81-004-XIE2007006.htm

Goans Explore Europe Through Portuguese Citizenship
http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=130316
Armstrong Vaz - 19 February 2008, Tuesday

BRITAIN RECENTLY announced the controversial plans to institute a 1,000-pound deposit to be paid up by sponsors when their relatives apply for visa to visit them. Add to that the controversial new points system to regulate work permits under the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP) will be introduced in UK at end of this month and from April 1 in India. All the changes make Sushil Shinde, a Mumbai resident a little nervous. He and his family wish to visit his relatives based in UK, while his elder son seeks to migrate to that country in search of employment.

Remdious Rodrigues, a former Goa Shipyard employee - a government undertaking - has no such concerns as he is on his way to UK with a stopover in Portugal to collect his Portuguese passport and become a Portuguese citizen after surrendering his Indian passport. He is a step away from giving up his Indian citizenship in search of his European dreams.

The 50-year-old Indian from the holiday resort state of Goa who has his family of wife and children still based in Goa did not have to make rounds at the immigrations offices of the UK embassy in India, but pursued his English dreams through the Portuguese connections. Goa was a former Portuguese colony till 1961, until the Indian army liberated it, on December 19 that year.

An Indian born in that country and who has spend his entire life in India can he become a European Union citizen, is the immediate question, which comes to mind. For some with no connection to history Indians opting for Portuguese citizenship may seem strange. But this is the route, which Indians from the western state of Goa and union territories of Daman and Diu have been exploring to further their European dreams.

Yes, people from the former Portuguese colonies in India, which includes Goa, Daman, Diu, Nagar and Haveli can exercise the option to become citizens of Portugal subject to certain conditions.

Rodrigues is not the lone Indian who has opted for Portuguese citizenship. There have been hundreds and thousands of Indians from the Portuguese colonies that have gone to Europe and settled there after acquiring Portuguese citizenship. A Portuguese citizenship, which gives them passage to work and settle any where in Europe as European citizens.

For most Goans the most favoured destination is UK. Rough estimates indicate that there are more than 50,000 Portuguese Goans in England. The reason for favouring England over other countries is the language, which the Goans find ease to adjust, while the residents from Daman and Diu have settled in different countries.

But in recent times with Bulgaria and Romania joining the European Union, the migrant workers from India are facing competition in the cheap unskilled labour market, informs recently migrated England based Goan Anthony Baretto saying, “Early days in England are certainly a struggle.”

What are the benefits one gets of being part of the European Union by joining the club - citizens gain the right to move in the world’s largest cross-border job market.

Even as UK deliberates to keep a check on illegal migration to the country more and more people are registering online to get an appointment to submit their documents to the Portuguese Consul-General in Goa.

The process of securing appointment itself takes close to one to two years, informs Wilson Coutinho, a resident of Goa who tried last week to log in on the site to get an online appointment to submit his documents for Portuguese residency. With every day the backlog of cases is piling up at the Consul-General’s office in Goa.

Elaborate procedure put in place by the embassy before clearing applications take another one-three years informs Remedios Rodrigues. The process involved a lot of paper work and making rounds to different government in the last three years.

The tightening of procedures was necessitated after alleged gangster Abu Salem got a Portuguese passport through fraudulent means.

Interestingly Portugal has the largest numbers of people of Indian origin - some 70,000 people of Indian origin and Non-resident Indians.

India Backs Down Over Overseas Citizens Of India Card Charges
Wednesday February 13 2008
By SUNIL RAO,

Staff Writer http://www.southasianfocus.ca/community/article/43167

Following accusations of gouging over Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card charges, the Indian government has finally picked a face-saving path out of the corner it had painted itself in. Effective Feb. 4, 2008, Indian missions in Canada have dropped their charges to US$275 for each OCI applicant, the same as Indian missions in the United States charge applicants there.

The fees had hitherto been C$421, with no option of paying in U.S. dollars.

"With effect from Feb. 4, 2008, payment of the fee of US$275 or C$421... can be paid either in U.S. dollars or Canadian dollars," the Indian consulate-general in Toronto said in a message posted on its website recently. The money can be paid only through a bank certified cheque or money order payable to The Consulate-General of India, Toronto, the message added.

Bragging rights

South Asian Focus had first exposed the issue in August 2007, pointing out Indo-Canadians who apply for an OCI card must pay a fee of $421 per application. In the United States, however, applicants pay a fee of US$275.

At exchange rates extant last August, the equivalent in Canadian dollar terms was around C$300.

Immigrants Communities Are Less Crime-prone
http://www.weeklyvoice.com/site
Saturday, 23 February 2008

Statistics Canada has released a study last week, based on data from the 2004 General Social Survey, revealing some differences in rates of violent victimization when place of birth was taken into consideration.

The findings are very clear, the new Canadians are not a violent or crime-prone lost, especially those hailing from South Asia or China. Canadian-born visible minorities had rates of violent victimization in 2004 that were three times higher than visible minorities who were born abroad, according to the new study.

And yes, one more myth-buster. The rate of victimization (a measure of how crime affected are the communities) were lower among all immigrants compared to the mainstream white community.

Some of the study's findings are:

- Canadian-born visible minorities experienced a rate of 211 violent incidents for every 1,000 people, compared to 69 incidents for immigrant visible minorities.

- The study showed that a number of factors could help explain these differences. For example, Canadian-born visible minorities are younger, more likely to be single and more likely to be low-income earners than their foreign-born counterparts.

- Canadian-born visible minorities also participate in a higher number of evening activities. Previous studies have shown that these factors are related to a greater risk of victimization.

- Place of birth was still a factor in the likelihood that a member of a visible minority would be the victim of a violent crime.

- The rate of victimization for all visible minorities was 98 incidents for every 1,000 people in the population, compared with 107 for those who were not visible minorities.

According to the 2001 Census, 4 million Canadians reported that they were visible minorities, representing 13.4% of the total population. This compares to only 4.7% of the population in 1981. Visible minority data from the 2006 Census will be released this upcoming April 2, 2008.

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