Canada, India and the Global Compact on Immigration

In December 2018, Canada joined more than 160 United Nations member states at Marrakesh in adopting a new negotiated agreement on international migration – the non-binding United Nations Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration which sets out 23 objectives for improving international cooperation on all forms of migration, from refugees to skilled workers. Canada (along with Australia) is among the world’s most generous nations for immigrants and has one of the highest per capita admission rates. (A 2014 sociological study concluded that “Australia and Canada are the most receptive to immigration among western nations”).

Since 1947 in Canada, domestic immigration law and policy went through major changes, most notably with the Immigration Act, 1976, and the current Immigration and Refugee Protection Act from 2002, which have made the policy most forward looking. In November 2017, the Canadian Immigration Minister announced that Canada would admit nearly 1 million permanent residents to Canada over the following three years, rising from 0.7% to 1% of its population by 2020. This increase was motivated by the economic needs of the country facing an aging demographic, with the number of senior citizens expected to double by 2036 alongside a decline in the proportion of working-age adults. This recognition of the reality of an ageing population is what prompted many countries to re-examine their migration policies.

Back in 2016, 193 members of the UN general assembly unanimously adopted a non-binding political declaration, the New York declaration for refugees and migrants, pledging to uphold the rights of refugees and migrants, help them resettle and ensure they had access to education and jobs. This ‘New York Declaration on Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants’ saw the launching of a two-year process to develop a Global Compact on Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration, or as it is better known, the Global Compact on Migration.

There are in fact two different types of migration: what could be referred to as  “discretionary” and “non-discretionary” migration. Non-discretionary refers to the fact that there are certain forms of even legal migration over which governments do not have much discretionary authority. Amongst the reasons is that governments have signed international treaties committing them to do certain things. One example is the treaty of Rome in the European Union, which gives EU workers the right of free movement within the EU. Another is the Geneva Convention for handling requests for asylum. A third example is the US H1B Visa which comes from the commitment under GATS that the US gave at WTO. Discretionary of course is when countries decide who they will allow in. The Global Compact was expected to find guidelines for ‘managing’ migration.

Small Business Symposium & Expo

Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce is organising a Small Business symposium and exhibition on 29 August 2019 in collaboration with the City of Markham. His Worship Frank Scarpitti, Mayor of Markham will inaugurate the program and Hon. Mary Ng, Canada's Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion will give the keynote address. 

	Mary Ng		Frank Scarpitti