Considering the hardships and battles they encountered to get here, they come across determined that their lives will be better then what they faced back at home. Everyday immigrants make the decision to migrate based on many different reasons. One of the top reasons for migration to Canada is that “Canada offers all its citizens and permanent residents universal health care regardless of income level.” In my opinion, this would come in handy when a family is choosing to migrate. They may go from not being able to afford to help a sick family member to now making sure that he or she receives the necessary care. For example, for an African man to have a broken leg he would be allowed to have it fixed, where as if the patient required a more intense care for lets say Cerebral Palsy, they would need to have money. South African info states, “Health care varies from the most basic primary health care, offered free by the state, to highly specialised hi-tech health services available in the private sector for those who can afford it.” Treatment in Canada isn’t limited to what can be done for free and what will need to be paid for. I think this would be an advantage to immigrants.
As I was searching through interesting stories on reasons why immigrants came to Canada, I had an interesting story pop up. Although this story isn’t about coming to Canada I think it establishes why immigrants with physical disabilities choose to migrate in general. This story, Fleeing Prejudice, Nigerian Family Quietly Raises Disabled Daughter in Texas, was about a family moving from Africa. The young girl told the ABC news that “her family came to Texas primarily seeking medical treatment for their youngest child, Bayo, who suffers from cerebral palsy.” This family chose to stay because they were receiving the proper help that they needed for their son.
The second reason for immigration to Canada is that “Today Canada's GDP is ranked one of the worlds highest. In the areas of human, social, financial and natural resources, Canada is ranked consistently high by the World Bank.” I believe that even if an immigrant decided to migrate with a physical disability finding a job in Canada wouldn’t be that hard. Canada immigrant job issues states, “The latest occupation trends in Canada show a growing number of workers in low-wage positions in which many skilled workers end up working.” I believe that this is where many immigrants end up. Doing physical labour may be difficult for a person with a physical disability. Immigrants have to trust Canada when it says that it is “An ethnically diverse country, Canada's residents come from all walks of life.” Although disability is defiantly challenging for most work places, disabilities can install barriers on transportation to work, limit mobility in and around the workplace and there is societal prejudice or discrimination.
In my opinion, discrimination is low in Canada and the immigrants coming with physical disabilities won’t suffer in any way. Canada will look after these people and make sure they are given the life they left their country for.
- Samantha
References
Kerry Colburn and Sorensen, 2004. So you want to be Canadian: All About the Fascinating People in the World and the Magic Place They Call Home. Retrieved from
http://www.ehow.com/about_5201573_do-people-migrate-canada_.html.
Canadian Job Issues. (2002). Employment in Canada. Retrieved from
http://www.canadaimmigrants.com/Jobs.asp
Health Care. (2010). Health Care in Southcare. Retrieved from
http://www.southafrica.info/about/health/health.htm
This is very interesting. The fact that more foriegn born people with disabilities are employed in America than American born people with disablities is very suprising. Until I read your post, I would have never guessed this to be true. You're right though, immigrating often requires one to be employed and attempting to aquire social assistance after immiagrating is probably a nightmare. It would be interesting to find out what the Canadian statistics in this area look like.
ReplyDelete-Crystal M.
How strange is that, I wouldn’t have never guess that people with a disability from another country are able to find employment as opposed to, U.S. born people with disabilities. I guess it does seem a little unjust, you’d think people born in the U.S. would be prioritized, but then again, this is a very sensitive area. Since people with disabilities are seen as people who should be given assistance, should they be turned away or treated different because they hadn’t been born in the U.S.? In a perfect world, all people with a disability would find employment, and therefore, taking financial responsibility in their own hands, and becoming more independent.
ReplyDelete-Rocco Scarcella
Wow this is such a big topic and I do to wish like Rocco said that In a perfect world, all people with disabilities would find a job suited best to their need where no one would be outed a job but there would be work available for all people with disability's. I can see how disabilities can provide a challenge for many jobs and it is unfortunate but i can see that people struggling with disabilities also are still able to find jobs suited to their needs. It may be hard to find a job at first but eventually they find one. I wish the government had a list of jobs that needed to be filled but could only be filled by people with disabilities. Maybe then things would begin to seem a bit more fair. -Brittany L
ReplyDeletePeople who are able to immigrate to our country should be given the same fair chance as everyone else once they are here. If they become a Canadian citizen, it should mean they are equal to every other citizen in our country.
ReplyDeleteIt is also understood that, as you said, disabilities cause many barriers in many work places, and it is difficult enough for an immigrant to get to our country, let alone survive if they do have a disability. I wish, as the previous comments also state, that all persons with disabilities would be able to find appropriate jobs and incomes, as well as be able to receive social assistance if needed.
Immigrants are moving here quite often for a better quality of life, and by allowing people into our country, we should be granting them that.
-Marina R