Canada takes pride in its multicultural society that accepts immigrants with open arms. Globally Canada is recognized as a world leader on population diversity front. Ever since its adoption in 1971, the policy of multiculturalism is hailed widely due to its impact on the social, economic and political integration of immigrants and visible or religious minorities. Many immigrants find conducive atmosphere being a key reason for them to prefer Canada over the others.

However, the inadequacies of the policy of multiculturalism started surfacing during the 1990s when a large wave of immigrants was allowed to enter Canada. During 1990 to 1996, immigrants accounted for 51 percent of the total population growth in the country. With major structural changes occurring in the Canadian economy during the same period due to recession and globalization, immigrants had to bear the brunt of harsh realities.

Race, instead of faith, skills or qualification, has become the key determinant for economic or social integration in Canada. New immigrants still prefer to move to areas where they can find people with matching skin colour, communicate in similar if not the same language and avail a greater degree of consonance of lifestyles.

Economic assimilation in Canada paves the way for social and cultural integration, thus yielding growth of asymmetric and analogous social capital which enable a group to benefit from civic engagement more than the entire Canadian society per se. Such phenomenon are evident among Chinese and Italian communities in Ontario. However, to understand Canadian diversity, social inclusion, integration and isolation better, let us first look at the systemic paradoxes. On the one hand, they seem to encourage immigration but, on the other, actively stymie and filter economic inclusion and integration of immigrants through a set of policy and practice barriers. Resultantly, we find a forced tapestry of diversity and an inharmonious Canadian refrain.

Credible research shows that immigrants landing in Canada since the 1990s are facing more economic difficulties than their predecessors. According to Stats Canada, the national statistical agency, average income for a recent immigrant was up to $48,000 in 1980 which fell to $ 30,000 in the year 2005 before factoring in inflation. An immigrant earned 85 per cent of what their Canadian-born counterparts made in 1980. The income kept falling gradually despite higher education amongst immigrants. These days, a fresh immigrant with a university degree earns merely 48 per cent of what his Canadian-born counterpart fetches home.

Many immigrants find it difficult to secure well-paying jobs and their earnings tend to be well below those of the Canadian-born population. Canada attracts over 250,000 immigrants each year and those immigrating under skilled category are highly qualified and accomplished professionals. The immigrants arriving here during the 1990s lifted the education level in the country. Despite less favourable working conditions and drop in salary, it takes skilled immigrants far longer to settle.

For Canada, the trend rings alarm bells when immigrants happen to be main source of population growth. By 2030, international migration would become the only factor of population growth. As Canada is approaching a point where immigrants will account for all of its population growth, their income levels are becoming important determinants of the aggregated totals. Individual experiences and some systemic research have shown that the Canadian labour market is not devoid ethnic and racial biases. Growing poverty among immigrants and Canadian-born peoples of colour is a reflection on this sad reality that has become a structural problem.

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