Pierre Poilievre says new immigrants are warning people off Canada — but are they?

In a 10-minute video posted by Nishant Kalia, a Calgary-based YouTuber and recent immigrant who runs the In The North – Canada channel, discusses the possibility of a recession, rising rents and layoffs as he walks the streets of the city with his partner.

His partner chips in and asks prospective newcomers to be ready to work two jobs and be reliant on different “income streams” to survive. She added that people should “reconsider” their decision to immigrate if they are already making a good living and not spending “too much” on rent in their respective hometowns.

But that’s not quite what the admins of five popular social media channels in Canada say. They regularly post videos primarily linked to immigration and have at least 100,000 subscribers or followers, but said they’re more interested in showing the realities of moving to this country rather than warning people to stay away.

Take Kalia, who moved to Canada in 2019. He said he isn’t against immigration, nor is he trying to tell potential newcomers that it’s “unaffordable and dangerous” here. Instead, he spends most of his time making videos on how newcomers can find jobs and the different legal avenues they can pursue to enter this country.

However, rising prices and rents over the past couple of years have compelled him to modify his content and provide his viewers with a “realistic expectation,” so that they are ready to face a “more intense” environment — compared to when he arrived — due to inflation.

“From an economic standpoint it’s very difficult for a newcomer who is trying to set foot in this new country,” Kalia said. “One should not be making this decision considering Canada as a fantasy land.”

From an economic standpoint it’s very difficult for a newcomer who is trying to set foot in this new country

Nishant Kalia

Canada has traditionally relied on newcomers to fill gaps in the job sector and drive its economy. It experienced record population growth in 2022, mostly by adding more than a million permanent and temporary residents. The federal government hopes to increase its immigration targets and bring in 500,000 permanent residents annually by 2025.

Some economists have also warned that Canada might struggle to meet its immigration targets if it doesn’t improve amenities such as housing and medical care.

These are issues that Kalia and some other social media channels seem to be increasingly highlighting, an aspect that wasn’t as prevalent a few years ago.

Almost one in five immigrants were born in India, according to Statistics Canada. Many of them, however, depend upon independent consultants, who are not always trustworthy, Dutta said. In a recent case, the government found out that about 700 Indian students, who relied on consultants, had entered the country through fake admission letters and now face deportation.

“We blindly followed the consultants,” Dutta said while talking about his move to Canada in 2017. “They portray a different image. Like, everybody is wearing branded clothes and driving the latest cars or getting good jobs immediately.”

Back then, potential newcomers were more reliant on consultants since there weren’t too many immigrants chronicling their lives online, he said. The situation has changed. And Dutta, through his videos that cover topics ranging from affordability and real estate to scams and rising rents, wants to ensure newcomers don’t face a “culture shock” like the one he did.

“I think it is important, if somebody is spending their life’s savings to come to Canada and they have high hopes, that they need to make an informed decision,” he said. “I don’t say ‘Don’t come to Canada,’ I say, ‘Know these things before you come to Canada.’”

I don’t say ‘Don’t come to Canada,’ I say, ‘Know these things before you come to Canada’

Rishabh Dutta

But the perception created by some of these videos may be as “powerful as reality,” said Daniel Bernhard, chief executive of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, a non-profit that works with newcomers.

“It’s like picking a university, there are objective factors, but there is also just what people are saying,” he said. “If Canada has a reputation as a place where you are not going to succeed, then that’s going to impact the number of people who are going to decide to come.”

Stein Monteiro, a senior research associate at Toronto Metropolitan University who studies issues such as integration among new immigrant groups, said the rise in the number of social media videos is a positive since it helps potential newcomers move beyond the “messy” layouts of government websites and have a better understanding of life in Canada.

He said he notices more of a duality of opinions across the internet rather than just a negative perception, which helps create a “more level” platform.

“From what I have seen, at least within certain express entry classes, many newcomers are doing quite well,” he said. “But at the same time, there are people who are coming in different fields who are struggling. The cautionary tone just serves to help everyone to be more mindful of what to expect. A lot of learning is taking place.”

Canada’s newly appointed immigration minister, Marc Miller, said current immigration data shows Poilievre’s assertion of an “internet phenomenon” warning potential newcomers not to come to Canada is incorrect.

“We have had a record number of applications to this country,” he said, adding that the challenge his team faces is in processing the desirable applications “in a fashion where we are not asking people to put their lives on hold to come to this country.”

However, Miller said there may be concerns that need to be addressed about the “integrity of our system” and the “abuse” around how international students are given false hopes about entering Canada.

Until then, social media admins such as Vashistha Sevak, whose Instagram page viratintoronto has nearly 140,000 followers, say they will continue to post videos that provide potential newcomers with a better idea of what to expect once they land here.

“I am not against coming here,” he said. “I just tell them this is not the La-la-land they have seen.”