cheeky_monkey

Japan has little or no immigration and has actively turned its back over the last 20 years on western economic gurus stating its needs mass immigration. Japan is doing very nicely thank you..amid predictions it will reassert itself as the dominant economic power in east Asia in the next 10-20 years

Former Lancastrian

Im pretty sure there also other countries who severely limit immigration to their shores.
What you have to distinguish is that Immigration/migration takes many forms.
Which country wouldn't want to allow persons who are highly educated and would be sought after where they would be an asset to the country and especially if they could speak and write the language of that country and easily fit in.

Countries are ok with young adults looking for a 1 year or 2 year stay and working on reciprocal agreements and if allowing to then apply for PR status they are already in the country so again can easily fit in.

Temporary workers are also ok with some but not others and some only look for specific workers in certain categories where others allow any in provided they have a job offer or there is a labour shortage in particular sectors. Some would call this protectionism like Buy American Hire American.

Now some countries balk at letting in unskilled workers to do menial non skilled work but again others are ok with it.

Now we come to the 2 types of Immigrants that certain countries have problems with those classed as Economic Migrants or Refugees. Some refugees do become an asset to the countries that let them in providing they are between certain ages. They have fled a country due to a number of factors and have a genuine fear of returning to that country whereas an Economic Migrant doesn't face the same fear.

I have dealt with all of these groups and there are more good than bad in every category. I do have a problem with someone making a refugee claim and being accepted as a refugee and 6 months later arrested for sexual assault or trafficking drugs and now we start the process of trying to get them removed and going through all the appeals which isn't quick.

In regards to refugees at what point does a leader say enough is enough if more countries are shutting their doors bear in mind there are approx 64 million displaced persons who are seeking another country to live in or be accepted by them.

TheAwesomeMatt

I have no problem with the number of immigrants to Canada, that would be hypocritical considering I moved here in the past decade. I do think that the parent/grandparent stream is kinda odd, it looks like it would have limited benefit for the country, right?

Maybe I'm missing something.

jandro

Although Canada ranks 19 for net migration according to this link it's still pretty high. It means Canada has the highest net migration of the G7 countries. It will also get higher.

The influential think tank, The Century Initiative, is advocating for Canada to have a population of at least 100 million by the end of the century. To achieve this they want immigration raised to 400,000 per year. The Immigration Minister has supported their aims. They claim it will fuel economic growth and make the country more important globally. It will be a country united in diversity and prosperity. I'm not so sure about that.

bats

Aren't more immigrants needed because Canada has an aging population with not enough babies being born to fill all the jobs and pay taxes to support us old folks

BristolUK

I'm all for equality but sending babies out to work and making them pay tax is a bit mean. What are you, a Tory?

bats

Harsh words.

BristolUK

Just last week I was telling my stepdaughter about a Tory who, in the 70s, suggested that lone parents on benefits should be sterilised. And today there's another one, this time suggesting unemployed males should have vasectomies. At least that's equal. ish.

macadian

Only if they are Liberals.....

DigitalGhost

Yes and no. You can get a work permit for Japan easily enough if you meet the required criteria. There's also a points based system for permanent settlement these days although almost nobody qualifies for it.

Outside of that though, it is very difficult for most people to actually immigrate there without a family connection. In fact many people who are on temporary status of residence and never want to leave actually take Japanese citizenship because the rules for that are more are totally different to permanent residence. Of course that always means surrendering your original citizenship.

And it doesn't take a genius these days to see how Japan has changed. It's more dependent on foreign capital now than at any time in its history and the streets of Tokyo are now awash with tax free deals for foreigners and ads in Mandarin blaring out over loud speakers. Things that would have been considered outrageous even 10 years ago are now accepted as the norm.

DigitalGhost

For sure the Canadian model of immigration would not work in Japan. In the video I included in the OP the Calgary Mayor suggests that Canada's multicultural model works when compared to Europe and the US because Canada has much less history and less of America's protectionist and survival instincts.

By contrast Japan is a largely mono-ethnic and mono-cultural set of islands with a history that can be traced back to the ice age. It also has a bizarre and unique culture, a different work ethic and a bespoke and difficult language. The immigrants that Japan does take never integrate as much as they create a bond of mutual tolerance between them and mainstream society. Canada welcomes immigrants and refugees as 'new Canadians' but that attitude would never fly in Japan or most of East Asia in fact.

Japan has no policy for landing refugees directly from abroad via organisations like the UNHCR and the highest refugee application refusal rate in the world so refugees are kind of a moot point so far as Japan is concerned.

bats

Quite right, that'll stop those oiks having more brats.

Shard

Shard

Isn't immigration increasing there as a result of the aging population? Or is everyone going to be looked after by robots.

Verdant

Japan as an Island nation that was often under siege and threatened by outsiders has traditionally been very protectionist for good reason. It goes some way to explain the xenophobia that is ingrained culturally - that being said Modern Japan is already vastly different from Japan of the 80s and earlier. I have Caucasian friends who married Japanese natives and had children and now live there and felt very little hostility, which would have been unheard of previously. That being said there is still very much a perception of the Gaijin (foreigner) in Japanese society, which is both a curse and a blessing as it does mean that while you are treated differently there is also far less expectation required of you.