A new survey reveals that 29% of newcomers in Ontario feel less safe in Canada than in their home countries, shedding light on the challenges faced by immigrants who often view Canada as a beacon of security and opportunity.
Conducted by Pollara and commissioned by CBC News, the survey included 1,500 Canadian residents who immigrated within the last decade. Nationally, 23% of respondents reported feeling less safe in Canada.
Oleg Redko, who fled the war in Ukraine in 2022, described a harrowing encounter shortly after arriving in Toronto: “I was going to the metro station while somebody was stabbed, and people were running out. It was shocking because I always thought Canada was one of the safest countries in the world.”
Similarly, Parth Shah, an international student from India, said, “I’ve lived in three major cities in India, and sadly, this is the most unsafe I’ve felt.” Shah shared an unsettling incident in a Toronto library where he was threatened over a rainbow sticker on his laptop. “No one intervened until a librarian asked the man to leave,” he recounted.
Advocates point to systemic issues like unsafe housing, economic insecurity, and exploitative employment practices as contributors to these feelings of unsafety.
Qazi Hasan, director of newcomer programs at WoodGreen Community Services, highlighted the struggles of asylum seekers living without basic necessities. Gurpreet Malhotra, CEO of Indus Community Services, noted cases of international students living with up to 20 people in a single home and being exploited by employers who withhold pay or passports.
“The fear isn’t just physical violence,” said Malhotra. “It’s also the anxiety of losing housing or jobs in precarious conditions.”
Newcomers and advocates urge better planning and support from all levels of government. Hasan emphasized the importance of community: “Give them the feeling that they are not here alone. You are here together.”
Courtesy CBC News