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I thought they all moved to Australia 🦘

I am from the Balkans. I have been studying, living and working abroad since I was 18. Germany was the 7th country I moved to and the first country ever I felt unwelcomed at work- because of my Balkan origins. I must say I was rather shocked because being a very open, international professional with lots of experience, I thought something of this kind would never be even imaginable. However, outside of my work field I gained many german friends pretty quickly - friends for life ( no competition here, haha). 10 years later, I am still here and the situation changed to better - a lot. A mix of getting trust, learning the language, and getting more international colleagues. I am totally thankful to the health system - they saved my life. If I stayed in my country, I would have had serious health issues. I am thankful to the democracy, freedom of expressing, schooling system( so much better than in my times in Yugoslavia), salaries, and many other things Germany gave me. I am living a good life, best life any of my family members had in generations. I would like to stay here as long as it feels good for me and my family. Having a german father to my kids is however the strongest link to me feeling home in Germany -having a local within your family makes it all a lot easier.

Can’t wait till we are just like South America going to be fun. All the crime, cleanliness law and order. Thank you to all the people who voted this way it’s going to be so much fun. Can people vote instead of not liking a person can you look at what they are trying to do. I would think closed borders would be #1 with anyone with a brain? Or just because you hate the way someone talks let’s destroy the country instead sounds like a plan sign me up can’t wait to be dodging these bullets soon. I think the only way to ever solve this is there are so many states. Can we just have some states for Republicans some states for Democrats you live the way you wanna live we live the way we want to live point blank. The problem is trying to blend things that are not meant to blend. I want Lauren order. I want people who follow the law. I don’t want a lot of music. I don’t want trash on the streets. I’m 50 now when I was 20 I may have thought differently. I worked hard. I moved out of the Bronx to a nice neighborhood and it’s still nice but our corner of nice in New York is getting smaller and smaller. And I laughed when these people, even in these nice towns who vote not realizing the consequences.

i can go on and on abt this problem i was born and raised in canada i happen to be brown but i aint an indi at all JT truly fcked our country up im in the GTA everywhere you turn youll see indi students walking around theyve already taken over and i dont think theyre going anywhere theyre just gonna bring their families some pretend to be students just for entry in theyre moving into my old family friends houses and turning it into immigration consultations 8 of them living in a 3 bedroom house 6 cars parked outside usually civics, corollas, mustangs, jeeps, and jettas... sometimes itd be the more expensive jeeps, mustangs, cameros, but only if their mom has 50 cows which she uses to sell milk and yogurt with, with a CV CX CY CW CZ DA DB DC DD license plate (aka newly registered which is 99.9% an indi student) thats how you know its them and to stay away from them on the road they dont know how to drive AT ALL cause they drive like how they would overseas and some of them get their license under the table now my dads paying 431 dollars for car insurance every month because of them he never got into an accident hes 47-54 years old he isnt a 16 year old with a new hellcat im 17 years old i cant even get a job because of them theyre stealing our jobs your kids will never be able to get a job ive been looking for one for 5 years every month n i bet ya theyre not hiring me cause i dont speak hindi and im not indi just today i was standing in line at a timmies and this indi student stood behind me so closely i looked behind my shoulder glancing at her hoping shed take a hint but no i move up she moved up even closer i look behind my shoulder 1 more time nothing nada her hand hit my bag and thats when i let her have it then she talked sh1t abt me in hindi very very very soon theyre gonna be telling canadians what to do in our own country theyre gonna rule over us and nothings happening to stop them just 2 weeks ago 2 of them were legit playing bumper cars on the street... cant even take the bus im a little az girl i have to stand at the front cant go back theyre its too full cant go back there again it smells like perspiration it always does we dont even have our own home yet were still renting smh anyways heres another lesson on how to reconize them backpack hanging low? indi student scan their clothes youll know its not from here look at their pants their shoes their shirts the way they walk and reconize whos an indi student n whos not n stay away from them they have no consideration too an old woman was trying to get off the bus with her walker thing and no one helped like 12 big indi guys were on the bus just looking at her i thought she got it but she didnt so i had to help her CANADA IS A SH!T HOLE n i cant even move out cause im still a child beggin my dad to move to kansas or something but he thinks they wont let him in... AT LEAST CALEDON? he said no he wnats to be close to his workplace but hey at least it could be worse \n\nvote conservative

I moved to Canada as a child with my parents 41 years ago. It isn't just inflation and cost of living that is the problem. It's the dramatically increasing racism and discrimination, even against people who have been living in this country longer than the racists discriminating against them. Seriously? This is not the Canada that I came to as a child, grew up in, or have lived and worked in for many decades. I made the mistake of working around the world for a short time and picking up an accent that wasn't even mine originally. I had a Canadian accent before finishing elementary school. To come back to be asked to go home or 'we don't want your sort here' is not just simple racism, but hatred that makes me regret ever having agreed to taking on Canadian citizenship. My kids and grandchildren have Canadian accents and were Canadians from birth. But should they leave and return to the same crap??? What disgusts me more is that the PM dares to include immigrants with refugees, under the banner that 30% of the population are immigrants. Under the law, refugees are temporary migrants and usually nothing more. To bundle immigrants who came to Canada through legal means of applications, brought hundreds of millions dollars into Canada with them of their own hard-earned money from their own countries, to have it taxed out of them, and their families deliberately put into poverty so Canada can fulfil its 19th century-PM Macdonald immigration policy of, and I quote from a Canadian federal government website, quoting PM Macdonald directly, about breeding out the Indigeneous people, is beyond sick! The refugees get a free ride at the expense of hard-working Canadians, 90% of whom came from immigrant stock! What happens when Trudeau says these deceitful lies about legal immigrants is that the racism and discrimination increases dramatically. I have been left in agony in hospital due to evil racist Canadians who thought that my accent meant that I had just flown in yesterday and what right did I have to be there? Police refused to charge a neighbor whose son was threatening the life of my grandchild because the neighbor works for the CRA! Other people have the same complaints. Democracy? What democracy, oh, and please spare us Mr. Trudeau the claim to be a constitutional monarchy, when most don't want the monarchy as a head of state for Canada! I have been honored to have known, still know, and will know in the future, many good, hard-working, caring and decent Canadians, but Mr. Trudeau, can you explain to me, how many of those were actually of immigrant stock and how many have forgotten where their families came from? Canada used to be a good country, but when a person has to keep explaining where they got their job experience from and if they have any Canadian experience for every time that they look for a job in their lifetime in Canada, something is very wrong with Canada. Most jobs in Canada are blue collar and very few are white collar, yet Canada still continues to deceive the world into believing otherwise. Canada is a great vast and beautiful land, but only a small percentage of it has any infrastructure, roads, or homes sufficient to house what is a decreasing fraction of society. Refugees take preference over immigrants and citizens alike. The lie about the homeless is getting bigger. Most homeless Canadians today are veterans, elderly, disabled, mentally ill, poor, and professionals and trades people, yet Canada brings in countless professionals, claiming that their education and experience will get them into the professions that they are coming from. It's all a scam! Canadian education is not the best and yet people with better educations and job experience are being forced to spend all their money to go back to university or college to get jobs that they rarely will be hired for. Canada is not short of doctors, just short of professionals who hire professionals without using discrimination, hatred and racism for their HR kit! Many taxi drivers are doctors, engineers, and so on. So, please stop lying to the world and tell the truth. And no doubt this entry will be taken down because it offends a Canadian who doesn't want the world to know the truth.

I have visited the United States many, many MANY, MANY times over the years. I've loved every single visit. The people are warm and lovely....some of your scenery and historic things were more than a joy to behold Would I ever want to move there ? Not even for a second. In fact, sadly, my husband won't even go back for a visit anymore. This is sad to me, but I understand where he is coming from. \nWas sad to say good-bye to our dearest friends who moved to the US, because the job pay and promotion was impossible to say no to. They lasted 2 months and settled for less pay and no promotion to come back home. They found it so weird, that all the new friends they made, thought they were freaks because they didn't own guns. The final straw was when they learned these people were packing when they came to summer barbeques. That was the final straw, and they high-tailed it home. \nIn recent times, a country run by someone I see as a loose cannon, psychopath...makes it a most emphatic NO.

I immigrated to Canada in 2010, and here are my experiences inside and outside Canada. I am grateful for a good education; having a Canadian passport opened up many opportunities in other countries to build a higher-level career. However, if I had known the amount of stress, health, and financial damage that I had to endure, I wouldn't have chosen to come to Canada. I would have remained in the US or EU countries where I could achieve even more without suffering to the level I did here. \n\nMisleading immigration promotion: The government-sponsored Canadian immigration program oversells what Canada can offer. It withholds information on the cost of living, chicken-and-egg problems like Canadian work experience is required to get a job at the same level as you are in, Canadian credit history is required to rent a proper apartment, Canadian education is required to secure a high-level job, etc. \n\nHiring process: I knew the Canadian system was not ideal for immigrants over a decade ago, but it got so bad now that even the born citizens are unable to survive. The Canadian government and employers lack a basic understanding that ambitious, high-achieving people immigrate to other countries for high-level positions using proper channels. It's ridiculous to see that Canada uses a point-based system to choose highly qualified personnel to enter their country yet expects them to pursue low-paying entry-level or labor jobs just because they have brown/black skin. At first, I thought having a Canadian degree and experience might help me get high-level jobs, and I didn't think how I spoke or looked would matter when I had high credentials to show off. So, I got my masters & Ph.D. from the Univesity of Toronto, which consistently ranks #1 in Canada. I have a bachelor's from a prestigious university in Asia and had a high-competitive, well-paid federal government job in another country. Still, none of that was recognized in Canada, and I had to volunteer for over 6 months, 10 to 12 hours/day, in a research lab that led to a funded PhD program. I worked even harder during my Ph.D. with many accomplishments, like 40+ research and leadership awards, internationally recognized scientific discoveries, and innovative technologies. I checked all the above and beyond in various domains (research, teaching, leadership, business, engineering consulting, collaborations, etc.). Yet, employers couldn't see past my race, gender, age, etc., and refused to give me the opportunity at the level of my qualifications. Luckily, I managed to secure short-term work in the UK & the US, and it changed even how I see myself. I was highly respected for my credentials, given higher positions than I applied for, and paid 3-4 times more salary and benefits. Of course, bias is an integral part of every society, but my race, gender, age, etc., were not as big of an issue to begin my career at the mid-career stage in these countries as opposed to Canada. \n\nHealthcare: Access to healthcare was another big challenge for me. When I moved to Canada in 2010, due to extremely low temperatures, I developed hives all over my body, my eyes got red, and I coughed for many months. The doctor said there was nothing wrong with me and refused to give me any medication. It took us years to get a family doctor, and we got one through my personal network. In 2015/2016, I developed an autoimmune disease, and my eyeballs popped out. As of today, I did not get to see an eye specialist as they have only 1 specialist in the area, and the waiting time is for years for the first consultation. Every time the family doctor told me that I had iron deficiency, even when I insisted that they should run additional tests and they cleared, they were flagged. The doctor never diagnosed my autoimmune condition. Luckily, during my short-term work in the UK, I saw competent interns who completed my care. NHS is poorer than the medical system in Canada... they are understaffed, don't have hospital beds after surgery, or don't have stock of paper gowns, yet the staff are highly competent and caring. Within 1-2 years, they did complete diagnosis by sending me to various specialists, completed eye surgery, and even found a lifelong condition that was preventing me from realizing my full potential. Following, in the US, the doctors confirmed the diagnosis of all the conditions within 1-2 months and put me on two small pills for life. It has dramatically changed my life, and I have even more admiration for the medical profession. While in Canada, I suffered for over a decade, and every time, I was treated as a hypochondriac and never given a single prescription. \n\nQuality of life: Big cities like Toronto are mainly affected by high crime rates, overpopulation, cost of living, low employment, low salaries, etc. A few months back, there was a huge auto theft, and one of my contacts lost their Lexus car within minutes of parking. Despite being a scientist, I have no faith in politicians or individuals fixing these problems. The salaries are not increasing, but the taxes and cost of living are on the exponential growth curve. The ridiculous part is that Canada expects you to pay taxes even when you are not employed or living in Canada! I lived in London and Boston, and they offer a much higher quality of life and pay. \n\nGrowth potential: No wonder Canada, being a G7 country, falls at the bottom of the list in innovation, equal opportunities, economic growth, etc. It has a decent education system but, due to its inherent bias in the hiring process and monopoly of certain businesses, loses talented immigrants and highly qualified Canadians to the US, the UK, and EU markets. Unless there is a dramatic shift in policies, Canadians, especially new immigrants, cannot expect any positive experience in Canada except for being discriminated against and losing valuable time and money by being there.

Hi Lynn, this is a very interesting conversation. I moved to Canada in 2003 went to college and became a nurse. First of all it was not easy paying for college I was lucky that husband was supporting with the bills as I went to school. So I would say that I have skills that are very marketable. Our combined family income was over $100,000 CAN. We mortgaged our first home which was very basic for a LOT of money. We had our kids and we had to struggle with childcare as most young families do. By North American standard, we were doing good. We each had a good car ( loaned), we made trips to Kenya every so often but in 2016 we decided we wanted to move back home and we sold our home and we did. I HAVE NO REGRETS. There were several things that made us reach our decision. First, I truly believe that for the Canadian system to work as it does, it has to entrap its residents. Even after 10 years of work we did not have money in the bank. Everything we owned really belonged to the bank. The light bulb moment for me came when I evaluated my net worth. A primary school teacher in Kenya after 10 years of work with good financial management will own a plot, a simple house and will start to invest for retirement. After 10 years of work, there wasn't much in the account, our house would need 25 years to finish paying mortgage and to be honest there wasn't much to show for those years of work. Quality of life really sucks the amount of stress will definitely send you to the grave sooner. This is the case for most first generation immigrants. You might say you are sacrificing and building a future for your children but, my observation was since our diaspora children have not grown in Kenya to see the need for money and what life really looks like without the comforts they are used to, they do not have the same drive as the parents so they often do not excel they are just ordinary. There is also the struggle of growing up as a minority group. A lot of our children because they are seeking acceptance will struggle with self esteem, will have depression or will join the LGBTQ community where they get sense of belonging regardless of their colour. The morals are also different from their parents and they are shaped by the society they grow up in. When I looked at what my life would look like if we kept living there, lets say we eventually pay off our mortgage, when we are old and requiring care, our children will not be able to support themselves and support us because they have to work to sustain themselves so we would to move to assisted living or nursing homes. The cost of senior care is not covered by the government unless you have no money. so we have to sell out home which would be old and outdated but still very expensive and we would have to pay $5000-$10000 per month depending on the type of care we need. so as you can see if we ended in a nursing home for 5 years we will have depleted all the money we made from the sale of our home. So by the time we die, we would not have money to leave for our children. So we worked really hard, supported the economy, and die leaving not much at all for our children, we sacrificed our quality of life, and ended up with children who don't think much of themselves or have very distorted morals. I still remember in my mind as we drove to the airport on our way back to Kenya, I thought of the story of Lot. He was pretty successful in Sodom but I'm very sure on his death bed he had lots of regrets why he ever went there. I know its tough being in Kenya but if you have a job or any way to make ends meet, be like Abraham. God will bless you regardless of whether you are in the dessert.

I always thought Trump was being dumb when he said, “they don’t send their best ppl” until I moved to Mexico and cross Paso del Norte once a month. Every month I take a bus up to Juarez and I ride with these migrants, and let me tell you something… they’re not all women and children. About 60-70% are young LITERAL thugs. I almost got jumped by a group of four of them when I arrived to the Juarez bus station for the first time. Mexicans are tired of these ppl as well, don’t get it twisted. 90% of Mexicans I’ve talked to don’t want them in their towns bc they say that since they’ve arrived muggings, burglary’s, and r@pes have severely gone up. In the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s most of the migrants were just ppl who wanted to work, these ppl that I’ve met time and time again talk like the US owes them and has to let them in. It’s crazy. You don’t realize it until you see them and meet them. That’s not to say there’s no good ppl in there, there is. But most are thugs.

As a Mexican American I have faced all types of racism from people of different races, including my own. I lived in Mexico for a while when I was young and would get bullied by kids who knew I was born in the U.S. Teachers also treated me different; some treated me worse than they treated the other kids, and others favored me because I was American. When I moved to Philadelphia I attended a school that was predominantly black and asian. I was the only hispanic in my class. At the time Spanish was my main language and my English was “rusty,” which led to constant bullying from classmates. They would call me “dookie face,” tell me to “go back to my country,” and even had some girls put gum on my hair. I would cry every day. I later on moved to Chicago to an area that was mostly hispanic, and that didn’t stop the bullying, either. After I finally refined my English, I no longer wanted to speak Spanish unless it was to my parents. Yes, I guess the constant bullying pushed me to feel like I had to separate myself from my hispanic heritage. When my hispanic classmates spoke to me in Spanish I only responded in English, which would make them mad and they would think that I thought I was “better than them.” Anyway, that was long ago and now as an adult I can reflect on these things so that I don’t make the same mistakes. I get along with everyone and the only thing that changes how I feel about someone is their character, not their appearance.