The Pain Inside Punjab's Immigration Economy

Canada's shift in immigration policies has massively impacted the state's IELTS centres

- Kudrat Wadhawa

The first time Dilveer Singh Brar wanted to go to Canada was when he was in the 8th grade. He had attended a wedding with his family, an event that Singh, now 19, finds particularly memorable. After all, it was at this wedding that his older brother got the call telling him that his study visa to Canada had been approved. Singh's mother and father danced with joy—his brother would be the first in their nuclear family to go to Canada.

As the day of his brother's departure inched closer, the family bought new shirts, pants, winter clothes, and blankets. "That's when I decided, 'Main vi bahar jaana hai (I also want to go abroad)," said Singh. "You know, at that age, these little things make you greedy," he added.

Within the next three years, his sister, the middle child, also departed for Canada. Singh recalls how "shiny and exciting" visiting the New Delhi airport felt. Soon, his maama's (uncle's) son left the country too. Singh was now the only young person left, among his relatives.

That's when Singh saw the "real story"—his parents desperately missed his brother and sister. "My mamaji and mamji cried for hours after dropping their son off," he said. He also remembers hearing stories of parents passing away, while their kids were abroad.

Is going to Canada really the right decision for me? Singh wondered. Paying the fees of educational programmes is challenging, unless your family is rich, he realized. To pay for his diploma programme, his brother worked at a pizza shop and at a South Indian restaurant. His sister, who was desperate to leave India now regrets it, because she hasn't found a job yet.