As of 2023, there were 82,000 immigrants calling Simcoe County home, an increase of more than 1/3 since 2016. By 2025, we expect that number to jump significantly, as over the past year we've seen a significant influx of newcomers in our region and beyond.
Increased access to opportunities is a common driver of individuals who decide to immigrate. In Canada, immigration is primarily an economic strategy to respond to gaps in our labour force.
Humanitarian response accounts for only roughly 10 percent of our country's immigration strategy.
When building safer more inclusive communities, it's important to understand the nuances of immigration: the differences in the experiences of those who make a decision to come here vs those who come because they are fleeing humanitarian crises in their places of origin.
A migrant, or an immigrant, is a broad and general term for someone who is living outside of their country of origin.
A refugee is someone who has fled their country of origin because of risks to their lives and safety. They have legal status and rights to international protection.
An asylum seeker is someone who is not yet legally recognized as a refugee. They have left their country of origin and they are seeking protection, but they are still waiting for a decision on their asylum claim.
A significant portion of the recent influx of newcomers are members of the LGBTQIA+ community, forced to flee their countries of origin under threats of violence and persecution because of their LGBTQIA+ identities. Most of them are asylum seekers.
The discrimination this group experiences is different because of intersectionality, a term taken from critical race theory that identifies intersecting social identities and the related systems of oppression and domination.
Upon their arrival to Canada, they might experience varying levels of oppression and domination related to their LGBTQIA+ identity as well as varying experiences of racism. They arrive to overcrowded shelters and a confusing and sometimes hostile bureaucracy that demands they "prove their queerness".
All this on top of navigating a new landscape, new climate, new language and basic needs around safety and security like housing, employment and legal support.
At UPlift Black, we understand the importance of intersectionality and the factors of multiplicities of privilege and oppression. We know the difference a sense of community makes and the deep impact a sense of belonging has on individuals navigating challenges, which is why we're introducing our Newcomer Nights at our UPlift Black Centre for Social Justice & Inclusion.
Please consider donating to our Newcomer programs so we can continue to celebrate intersectionality, build community and promote a sense of belonging and establish permanence for this vulnerable population.
Do you or your organization work with newcomers? Or another vulnerable population? Have you considered the importance of intersectionality in the way you serve them? We offer coaching, consulting, and education.
Book your free call to find out how UPlift Black can help you provide more equitable and inclusive services that consider the wholistic needs of intersectional identities.
* in this context we've dropped the '2S' part of '2SLGBTQIA+. Since the '2S' represents the Two-Spirited identities of certain folx who are Indigenous to Canada, '2S' isn't relevant when describing newcomers
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