There are more than 6,500 lobbyists registered in Canada, but few are advocating to improve the lives of immigrants and newcomers in this country.

Senator Ratna Omidvar says one single federal-level organization representing immigrants would help get their concerns on the parliamentary agenda. There are nearly 8 million people with permanent residence status in Canada.

“What we are missing in Canada is a more macro, global group, a Canadian group that speaks for immigrants per se. Unlike the U.S., where there is an organization for New Americans, we do not have that at the national level in Canada. And I believe that is a real gap,” says Omidvar, an Indo-Canadian who has advocated for immigrants and fought to reduce inequality through much of her career.

Omidvar and 19 other senators are pushing for the approval of an inquiry to examine the links between Canada’s prosperity and immigration.
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