Migrations - [10/28/2008]

Forum on Management of Immigration and Diversity in Quebec and Canada

With a percentage of immigrants that stands at 19.8%, a population comprised of more than 200 ethnic origins and a long tradition in the area of migration policies, Canada is a country that is one of the main points of reference with respect to the management of immigration and diversity. With the aim of learning from Canada's experience, the Forum on Management of Immigration and Diversity in Quebec and Canada took place in Barcelona on 22-23 October, bringing together 15 internationally renowned Canadian experts to discuss some of the key issues. In its discussion of the role played by sub-state governments in this field in Canada, the seminar paid particular attention to the case of Québec. The seminar, which was chaired by Dr. Dan Rodríguez, was a joint initiative organised by the Department of Immigration of the Generalitat of Catalonia and the Migrations Programme of the CIDOB Foundation, and was inaugurated by the Councillor for Social Action and Citizenship, Carme Capdevila.

During the first day of the Forum, it was stressed that the Canadian model – in spite of its special characteristics and differences from the phenomenon of migration in Europe – offers some useful lessons for Spain and Catalonia today. The first and second session of the seminar were dedicated to the framework of powers over immigration and diversity and the management of migration flows. The main elements of Canada's policy in this field were defined as follows: selection, integration and decentralisation. In this respect, emphasis was placed on the fact that the Canadian model recognises the powers of the different provinces in the area of the selection and integration of immigrants, and an analysis was made of the orientation of their model toward a search for qualified immigrants. The third session was dedicated to assessing immigration in Canada and Quebec in the areas of employment and insertion into the labour market. From a critical perspective, an analysis was made of Canada's current points system and the criteria for selecting immigrants, the relation between the degree of qualification required for foreigners with respect to the needs of the labour market and the greater importance of temporary immigration. One issue that came up in the debate (and which applies both to Canada and to Europe) was how to manage the growing diversity in the labour market.

On the second day, the Forum focused its attention on some more specific answers in the area of immigration, deriving from the experience of Quebec and Canada. Thus, the fourth session tackled the issues of citizenship, coexistence and civic and socio-cultural integration. During these discussions, participants described Canada’s transition from a model of exclusion, based on the selection by race and nationality, to one of inclusion that promoted multiculturalism – a multiculturalism that has become the sign of Canadian identity, though not without tackling challenges such as inequality, discrimination and the effective exercising of citizenship. Following the multicultural context defined in these addresses, the fifth session was dedicated to assessing the management of linguistic policies in Canada, an area in which the federal government, the provincial governments and the local education boards all participate. In this respect (and in direct relation to the discussion over the frameworks of powers), participants also highlighted the differences with respect to the reality of Catalonia and Spain during this session. The sixth session of the day examined the experience of the Metropolis Centres, which were conceived as networks that ensure a fluid, institutionalised connection between researchers, academics, policymakers, representatives of civil society and of the private sphere with respect to migration issues. Particular mention was made of their ability to transfer knowledge and their capacity to operate proactively and not only reactively when it comes to dealing with the challenges of immigration.

The last stage of the forum was given over to evaluating the possibility of incorporating elements from the Canadian model into the reality of Spain. The round table debate between representatives from the Basque Country, Andalusia, Madrid and Catalonia threw up several conclusions that focused on the need to defend diversity as well as social cohesion, in addition to the need for greater planning in order to face up to a migration reality that is pressing and unavoidable for the country. Referring to the case of Quebec and Canada, some of the speakers highlighted the idea of establishing an agreement between the State and the autonomous communities that would increase the latter's powers in the area of immigration; as well as the importance of creating a model which – just like in the case of Canada – recognises immigrants’ family reality and their working future beyond their first work contract.

During the Forum' conclusions session, led by the Director of the CIDOB Foundation Josep Ribera and the Secretary of Immigration of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Oriol Amorós, explicit reference was made to the intention to emulate the experience of the Metropolis Centres, to ensure an effective partnership between civil society, academia and the public sphere in the field of immigration. Likewise, the speakers highlighted the need for the actors that manage migration flows to have greater protagonism, or at least information, in order to tackle more efficiently the challenges of immigration, a structural reality which, just like in Canada, will continue to be present in Catalonia, Spain and Europe.