Immigration remains a cornerstone of national policy, although it has undergone significant transformations across economic, family, and refugee admission streams in the past two decades. Reshaping the Mosaic offers an insightful exploration of Canada's immigration policy, ranging from its historical roots to contemporary developments.
The book examines the growth in permanent and temporary immigration to Canada. It explores changes in selection criteria and evaluates their impact on key policy objectives: contributing to Canadian economic prosperity, facilitating family reunification, providing refuge for those fleeing persecution, and enabling the integration of immigrants and their descendants into Canadian society. The book sheds light on the legal, political, economic, and social paradoxes inherent in Canadian immigration policy, highlighting shifts in exclusion powers, deportation practices, settlement support, and citizenship rules, as well as their implications for Canadian ideals of multiculturalism, fairness, and integration. It documents the lack of transparency and informed public engagement in policy formation and the implications this lack may have on maintaining public confidence and ensuring that immigration policies align with the national interests.
Driven by a conviction that the contemporary changes in immigration policy need to be examined in a comprehensive and inclusive way, Reshaping the Mosaic looks at recent shifts and their implications for society and offers invaluable insights for policymakers, scholars, and stakeholders, aiming to assist the development of a new immigration policy framework.
By:
Ninette Kelley,
Jeffrey G. Reitz,
Michael J. Trebilcock
Imprint: University of Toronto Press
Country of Publication: Canada
Dimensions:
Height: 229mm,
Width: 152mm,
Spine: 25mm
Weight: 1g
ISBN: 9781487562977
ISBN 10: 1487562977
Series: UTP Insights
Pages: 336
Publication Date: 01 May 2025
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Primary
,
Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming
Acknowledgments Introduction: Canadian Immigration Policy at a Crossroads Immigration and the Canadian Mosaic Public Support Canadian Exceptionalism Fault Lines Ideas, Interests, and Institutions in Policy Evolution Structure of the Book Part 1: A Historical Reprise Pre-Confederation The First Hundred Years: 1867–1967 1867–1914: Consolidating the Dominion 1914–1930: Between Two Extremes 1930–1950: Retrenchment 1950–1966: Shifting Emphasis Policy Transformed: 1967–2001 1967–1975: Towards a New Immigration Act 1976–1987: Greater Inclusion and Transparency 1988–2001: Calls for Change Main Historical Shifts Part 2: Immigration to Canada: Rapid Change and Expansion Eligibility Criteria Inadmissibility Grounds Avenues of Appeal and Review 2.1 Economic Stream: Accelerated Change and Growth Context Relevant Legislative Provisions Changing Priorities and Programs Surge in Temporary Foreign Workers Expansion of Permanent Immigration Admissions Impact of Changes A Problematic Scenario: Restructure then Quickly Expand 2.2 Family Sponsorship: Raising Requirements Context Relevant Legislative Provisions Requirements of Sponsors Bars to Sponsorship Eligible Family Members Family: A Cornerstone of Effective Integration Family Redefined Future Priorities 2.3 Refugees: Greater Selectivity and Barriers to Asylum Context Relevant Legislative Provisions Overseas Selection Inland Refugee Determination Cessation of Refugee Status Future Priorities Part 3: Membership and Belonging: Precarious Status Overview 3.1. Deportation: Disproportionate Response Context Relevant Legislative Provisions Pre-removal Detention: Length, Conditions, and Oversight Deportation: Limited Review and Consequences Proportionality: Towards a More Balanced Approach 3.2. Integration: Short-Term Programs, Long-Term Barriers Context Government Responsibility for Immigrant Integration Relevant Legislative Provisions Settlement Services Integration Policies and Programs under Other Legislation Assessing Immigrant Integration Holistic Strategies: A More Comprehensive Approach 3.3 Citizenship: Raising the Bar Context Citizenship in the Twenty-First Century Resolving Status and Limiting Access: 2002–2009 Tightening Requirements: 2010–2022 Advancing Equity in Citizenship Acquisition Conclusion: Where To from Here? Key Substantive Changes Economic Class: Dramatic Redesign, Employer and Provincial Involvement, More Temporary Workers Family Class: More Restrictive Eligibility Criteria Refugees: Greater Numbers, Changing Selection Priorities Integration: Diffusion of Responsibility Annual Admissions: Doubling in Ten Years Removal Citizenship Policy Process Public Accountability Enhanced Data, Evidence, and Analysis Federal Provincial Coordination Role of Artificial Intelligence in Program Administration The Case for Incrementalism Appendix: Figures Index
Ninette Kelley is a lawyer and former official of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Jeffrey G. Reitz is the R.F. Harney Professor Emeritus of Ethnic, Immigration, and Pluralism Studies, a professor emeritus of sociology, and an affiliated faculty member at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the University of Toronto. Michael J. Trebilcock is a university professor emeritus of law and economics at the University of Toronto.
