The promise of migration : a companion to the International Metropolis Conference 2019, Ottawa, Canada

Abstract

[Para. 1 of Introduction]: Migration is shaping societies around the world. It has long defined settler countries, such as Canada; it is affecting communities of departure and return, ranging from the Azores to Zimbabwe; and it is increasingly impacting countries that have traditionally not considered themselves as major immigrant destinations, like many European countries. Meanwhile, individual migrants and their families experience departure, migration, and arrival differently than the communities shaped by them. From both societal and individual perspectives, we can ask whether migration accomplishes what it promises to achieve. Does migration contribute to the economic, social, and cultural well-being of societies? Do migrants and their families find a pathway to security, achieve social and economic upward mobility, and gain opportunities to participate in the political and cultural life of their arrival communities? The Promise of Migration addresses these questions through a critical lens.

Re-assessing caregiver migration programs and policies in Canada

“…Furthermore, it is important that policymakers take a step forward towards considering the positive effect families have on migrant caregivers. As argued by Bauder, Ali and Shields (2019) Canadian public policy discourse must move away from the idea that the family only plays a minor role in determining the economic and social contributions of immigrants to society when, in fact, family members make significant contributions to a migrant's financial, social, and emotional well-being. For example, a caregiver stated the importance of having her family by her side: "[My husband] was working full-time while I went to school full-time.…”

“…Aside from immediate family members, it is important to note the role played by extended family who can be crucial members in sharing household chores or expenses (Ali & Batiubayeva, 2019). Within the Canadian government, policy imposes a narrow, western and heterosexist definition of the family, which ultimately excludes other crucial members of the family (Bauder, Ali & Shields, 2019). For instance, in the Philippines, a strong kinship system exists in which extended family members, specifically female relatives, provide child care for other members (Tungohan et al, 2015).…”