Despite the fact that roughly a fifth of Canada´s population has been born overseas, and that immigration will be the only source of growth in Canada – because of low fertility rates – these issues don´t seem to be part of anyone´s agenda.

Last week, CBC presented a documentary on the “ethnic vote” and newcomers´ disappointment, as they feel that, since Pierre Trudeau, their issues have not been seriously addressed and therefore do not identify themselves with either of the two main political parties, Liberals or Conservatives.

And what are those issues? “Skilled Workers and Professionals” and “Business” programs are the two ways of emigrating to Canada. However, it is well-known that a great number of professionals end up working in underpaid jobs because of bottleneck policies that deprive them from appropriate cetification.

Dental surgeons José Chinchilla and his wife Karem came from Honduras and work in cleaning jobs because the requirements to validate their degrees seem to be more of a “strainer” than a “fair opportunity.”

“We have the right to be treated in a fair way and not to be excluded. A very small minority with economic support are reaching the dream of being a professional in their new homeland,” said Chinchilla, as he explained that among other obstacles, they are required to apply for a university training course to which only 10 per cent get accepted and if they do, they have to pay out of their own funds – $60,000,00 for six months, a goal impossible to accomplish when settling and supporting the family become priorities.

For decades professional immigrants have assumed that this is the “cost” of living in Canada with direct impact and consequences on their families.

This is perhaps one of the reasons why “Canadian-born, second and third generations, are not identifying with Canada,” as Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity Jason Kenney has stated.

What is the real purpose of bringing professional immigrants to Canada? Why deprive their own homelands of good qualified professionals if we, as a society, cannot meet their expectations?