‘Clients are coming with severe anxiety and sometimes panic attacks after hearing racial slurs outside our door’
Immigrants and those supporting newcomers in Alberta are seeing a rise in hostility and racist narratives, according to a recent report.
Community advocates say the trend is causing increased anxiety among immigrants and is prompting organisations to take additional measures to protect both clients and staff, reports The Canadian Press (CP).
“I hear from people in my own communities—women specifically who wear hijabs—many bad things and we realise there is a need to educate people,” says Shamaila Akram, vice president of case management at Calgary’s Centre for Newcomers, in the report.
“Clients are coming with severe anxiety and sometimes panic attacks after hearing racial slurs outside our door. We have instances where they’re being harassed while walking in downtown.”
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Government ‘stands firmly against racism’
The Centre for Newcomers has responded by increasing building security, reducing its online marketing, and expanding its crisis line for newcomers, according to the CP report posted in CTV News. Chief program officer Kelly Ernst reported that racialised staff at the centre are facing more harassment, and that the rise in hostility has coincided with renewed public debate over immigration.
The Canadian Anti-Hate Network told CP that both online and in-person hostility toward immigrants—especially South Asian communities—has increased. Executive director Evan Balgord says, “We are seeing classically racist narratives being spread that groups of people are dirty, criminal, incompatible with society and dangerous.”
Meanwhile, Alberta Immigration Minister Joseph Schow stated that the government “stands firmly against racism and continues working to build a province where everyone is respected—no matter their cultural background or where they come from,” according to the report.
However, Premier Smith’s office also links immigration to housing and employment challenges, stating that the number of newcomers to Alberta must be sustainable and that all immigrants should be committed to Canadian values, CP reports.
While the Ontario Public Service (OPS) has a comprehensive set of policies designed to foster and sustain an inclusive and accessible workplace, it has a long way to go to address anti-Black racism within its system, according to a previous report.
Anti-racism action plan
Despite the increasing reports of racism among immigrants, the Alberta government, earlier this year, claimed that it has made some progress when it comes to addressing racism.
In February, the Alberta government released its second annual implementation report on the province’s Anti-Racism Action Plan, detailing significant progress in efforts to address racism and promote diversity and inclusion across the province.
The report, titled Taking Action on Racism: Building Momentum, outlines achievements over the past year in public education, community empowerment, system improvements, hate crime response, and data collection.
“Our government has advanced important work to address barriers, celebrate diversity, and promote fairness—a testament to our resolve to create a province where everyone, regardless of their background, feels welcome and valued,” says Muhammad Yaseen, Minister of Immigration and Multiculturalism, in the report.
“As the action plan enters its third and final year, Alberta’s government is proud of the significant progress we have made. Our actions are helping foster a more inclusive province; however, addressing racism is a complex process and change does not happen overnight. The progress we’ve made over the past two years gives us hope for a brighter future.”
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Employment programs for racialized Albertans
Key actions and achievements highlighted in the report include:
- The province has established grant programs to support community initiatives that increase cultural awareness and prevent racism. The Alberta Immigrant Impact Awards, launched to celebrate the achievements of newcomers, was held for the third time in 2024. Educational resources on microaggressions in the workplace and Indigenous-specific content have been published, and amendments to housing regulations now ensure equitable access for Indigenous people and newcomers.
- The government has funded training and employment programs for racialized and Indigenous Albertans, expanded translation services, and supported Indigenous post-secondary learners. Initiatives such as the Indigenous Learning Initiative and mandatory unconscious bias training for government staff have been implemented to foster a barrier-free workplace.
- Grants and activities have supported anti-racism initiatives, cultural celebrations, and safe spaces for dialogue. The province has also expanded funding for Indigenous-led emergency shelters and increased sports access for marginalised and Indigenous populations.
- Alberta has established a Provincial Hate Crimes Unit to coordinate efforts across jurisdictions, and the Alberta Security Infrastructure Program has provided over $900,000 in grant funding to organisations at risk of hate crimes. The province continues to work with the federal government to improve hate crime legislation and has integrated equity, diversity, and inclusion training for law enforcement officers.
- Alberta has developed frameworks for the ethical collection and analysis of disaggregated race-based data. The government is assessing disparities in hiring, wages, health outcomes, and justice system interactions for racialized and Indigenous Albertans, and has begun work on a province-specific expert report to guide future data standards.
Laurie Hauer, interim executive director of Edmonton’s Newcomer Centre, says education is essential to counter negative narratives.
“Immigration is vital for our economic growth, and it’s really important to get that message out to people and understand those elements because what’s coming out right now is just constantly, ‘Immigrants are the problem,’” Hauer says, according to the CP report.
