Category: Newswatch
Pakistani Immigrants: 2nd Most Poverty Prone Group in Canada
16 May 2012.
Toronto: Pakistani immigrants are the second most poverty prone group in Canada, reported the Dawn. According to Canada’s census report, about 44 per cent of Pakistan -born immigrants fell below the poverty line in the country which is known for its growth and prosperity.
At the same time, 18 per cent of India-born immigrants in Canada reported being a low-income person or belonging to a low-income economic family.
In a startling revelation, the report claimed that thousands of Pakistan trained engineers, doctors, and PhDs are driving taxis or are working as security guards in Canadian cities.
The census report pointed out that most of the Pakistan trained doctors cannot practice medicine without completing further training in Canada. In fact the shorter duration of medical training in Pakistan necessitates the additional certification for doctors.
However, there is no such barrier for Pakistan trained engineers as the engineering curriculum and the duration of training in Pakistan is similar to that in Canada.
The fact is one in three taxi-drivers in Canada, was born in either India or Pakistan.
The census report for 2005 claimed that Immigrants born in the United Kingdom, Portugal,Italy and Germany reported the lowest incidence of poverty in Canada.
Source: 2006 Public Use Microdata File, Statistics Canada.
Why Pakistanis lagged behind Indians
Murtaza Haider who is the Associate Dean of research and graduate programs at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University in Toronto writes pointed out in a write up published in the Dawn that the Indian diaspora is much larger in size that allowed Indian immigrants to benefit from the social network, but Pakistanis were not benefited with this.
This is the reason immigrants from Pakistan lack the social networks necessary for success with employment.