Event: Unpacking the immigration landscape in unsettled times

Immigration policy stands at a critical crossroads as global shifts influence patterns of movement, economic needs and social cohesion.

Media are invited to attend a panel exploring immigration through the lenses of policy, economics and community impact.

In Canada and B.C., debates over immigration intersect with urgent questions about the workforce, housing, integration and national identity. Globally, governments are responding to conflict, economic uncertainty and climate-driven displacement— transforming the landscape for newcomers and the societies they join.

Featuring experts at UBC and front-line community partners, the discussion will explore key questions including how immigration policies are evolving in response to political and economic instability, the economic impacts of immigration for workers and communities in B.C. and across Canada, what barriers newcomers face today and what a truly inclusive system could look like.

This event is presented in partnership with the UBC Faculty of Arts, Centre for Migration Studies and Stone Centre for Wealth and Income Inequality at UBC.

• Date: Wednesday, April 16, 2025
• Time: 5:45 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (Panel begins promptly at 6:00 p.m.; please arrive early to set up cameras)
• Location: UBC Robson Square, Theatre (C300), 800 Robson Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6Z 3B7

Assignment editors: Individual interviews with panelists are available before or after the event. Please RSVP to sachi.wickramasinghe@ubc.ca by 10 a.m. on April 16, 2025.

Moderator:

• Dr. Kamal Al-Solaylee (he/him) — Director and Professor, School of Journalism, Writing, and Media, UBC Faculty of Arts
  A journalist, scholar and award-winning author, Dr. Al-Solaylee explores migration, identity and belonging in his work. His latest book, Return: Why We Go Back to Where We Come From, examines the emotional pull of home and the often-overlooked role of return in the immigrant experience.

Speakers:

• Dr. Irene Bloemraad (she/her) — President’s Excellence Chair in Global Migration, Professor of Political Science and Sociology, and Co-Director, Centre for Migration Studies, UBC
  An expert on immigrant integration and political inclusion in Western democracies, Dr. Bloemraad explores how migration transforms national identities and civic life.

• Dr. Thomas Lemieux (he/him) — Professor, Vancouver School of Economics; Director, Stone Centre on Wealth and Income Inequality, UBC
  An expert on labour markets and income inequality, Dr. Lemieux examines how education, institutions and immigration shape economic outcomes across borders.

• Lenya Wilks (she/her) — Director, Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement, DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society
  With more than seven years of experience in non-profit, newcomer settlement and community engagement services, Wilks brings critical insights into what it takes to build strong, inclusive communities.

For members of the general public wishing to attend, please register here.