Fifteen staff of ISS-HK have made an one-week study trip to Ottawa and Toronto in Canada on June 14-21. Thanks to the reception of ISS Canada and local service agencies, the team has benefited a lot from the exchange of experience and visits to children, migrant service and mental health facilities.

The study group was impressed by Canada’s comprehensive approach on the support for migrants. For example, a newcomer centre provides not only courses for the adults to integrate into the society, but also child care services when parents are taking the courses. It helps parents to focus on learning as their children are in good hands of multilingual tutors who offer high quality learning experience with a mix of games and interactive exercises.

We were privileged to be invited to witness a citizenship ceremony which marks the final step of migrants to becoming a Canadian citizen. Migrants eligible for citizenship took the oath and received certificates from the citizenship judge, Ms Nancy Siew. She was also a migrant from Hong Kong.

To these new members of Canada, the ceremony is a celebration of the new identity, as well as a solemn declaration in which they promise to fulfill their responsibilities as citizens.

Many of our group members found the trip inspiring as it furthered their understanding of citizenship and how migrants integrate with national identity into a multicultural country like Canada.

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