Ratna Omidvar

As a Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow, Ratna Omidvar plans to infuse Germany’s and Canada’s cooperation on migration with new energy and joint action. Germany and Canada – both grounded in democratic values and human rights – are facing similar challenges today, she says: ageing populations, labour shortages, rising anti-immigration sentiment and a need to manage both forced and economic migration humanely. 

Canada’s experience as a multicultural society and Germany’s growing acknowledgment of itself as an immigration country provide grounds for deeper bilateral collaboration, Omidvar argues. She pushes for a changed perspective on migration. “Refugees get labelled in a way that robs them of really important attributes: Refugees are doctors, they are tradespeople, they are cooks, they are wives, they are students. They have competencies which you cannot discover unless you support them getting stabilized.”

Building on German-Canadian agreement on migration, Ratna Omidvar is set to explore how the bilateral partnership can be boosted through the exchange of good practices, joint research and innovative partnerships and shared evaluation. In particular, she intends to explore cooperation opportunities between cities, universities and civil society organisations. More citizen engagement is key to integrating migrants and refugees, she says and cites Canadian policies such as government funding to NGOs, citizens co-sponsoring refugees, or provinces choosing their own intake numbers.

Key questions for her are: Which policy areas – such as labour market integration, credential recognition or forced migration – offer the greatest bilateral potential? And how can political will, administrative coordination and public opinion be mobilised to achieve durable solutions?

Refugees and migrants offer an opportunity for their country that welcomes them, she says. Their determination and stamina to succeed is born out of necessity, she says. “I can tell you story upon story upon story of people who have come to Canada seeking refuge and have made this country a better place, let alone the fact that they have made good lives for themselves. They have made our country a better place.”