In a conversational interview filmed at Square One Mall in Mississauga, host Speaker A talks with community health worker Anju Rajan about the paradox that immigrants often arrive in Canada at peak health but experience a rapid decline after settlement. Rajan explains that the immigration medical screening ensures newcomers are healthy on arrival, yet the immediate focus on finding employment, housing, and navigating a new environment pushes health to the back‑burner. Social determinants such as financial insecurity, neighbourhood quality, and limited access to affordable medication exacerbate both physical and mental health issues. She notes that while doctor visits are covered, prescription drugs are costly, leading many to forgo treatment or seek alternatives from abroad. Discrimination, non‑recognition of foreign credentials, and survival‑type jobs add further stress, contributing to conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and anxiety. Rajan highlights the extensive support network available: government programs, numerous not‑for‑profit settlement agencies, and community centres that offer job‑search assistance, housing help, language and life‑skill workshops, and financial‑hardship relief. She provides three crucial phone numbers for newcomers—911 for emergencies, 211 for free access to social and settlement services, and 311 for city‑specific issues such as housing maintenance or neighbourhood disturbances. The interview concludes with a call to action for viewers to remember these numbers, explore local settlement resources, and subscribe for more informational content.
Chapters
You know what? The health of immigrants after coming to Canada actually deteriorates.
Healthcare is— when they say healthcare is free, your doctor's visit is free. I can give you a few numbers and they are very easy to remember.
Hey guys, how are you today? So I am at Square One in Mississauga.
It's beautiful summer.
Hey, out here you can see the bus stop and everything. There's a bus standing over there, people are getting into the bus stop, and this is a beautiful mall and a public place that we have. And with me today, our guest Anju Rajan. She's a community health worker and she's going to tell us something very, very strange today. You know what? The health of immigrants after coming to Canada actually deteriorates. That's a very strange thing I learned today from you.
Yes, so it is actually very simple. When you come to Canada, you are at your healthiest when you land because immigration process is such. You go through medicals, you go through screening. This the whole process actually looks at the fact how healthy you are before you get to the country. And when you land, you are at your healthiest because as soon as you land, you are focused on finding a job, finding housing, getting successful, getting settled, and health is one of the last priorities. And also there are things something called social determinants of health, which which are like How financially well off you are, what kind of neighborhood you live in, do you have easy access to healthcare? So many things which you don't have in the beginning when you come because you are in the process of settling. So the first few years when you are very, very focused on finding a life, finding a footing in the country, your health actually takes a toll. So immigrants actually decline in health.
And that is why we fall sick immediately after coming here. But people start to look better.
They start to look better just because of the weather. Most of us actually come from hot countries and cold countries, we do look better, but then overall your health just deteriorates.
So you start getting a lot of health issues, and because health is over here is free, you don't realize how much money you're spending on health.
No, not just that.
Healthcare is—
when they say healthcare is free, your doctor's visit is free. Yeah, medicines are not. Yeah, and medicines are very, very expensive. Pharmaceuticals are very expensive in Canada. So a lot of people will either not take a medicine or try to get something from India.
Yeah.
So again, we are playing with our health. So the first few years are very hard on health, and immigrants actually decline in health Yeah, so, um, is there any statistics measured in this particular thing? Uh, there are— there is data. Um, Canadian Mental Health Association has actually done the research on it, and they say immigrants decline not only in their physical health but also in their mental health.
Yeah, that's because of the snow and 6 months, 8 months of snow.
There's snow, then there is— when you're looking for a job, there's discrimination, your qualifications are not recognized. You're struggling to find a job. You're in a survival job. All that takes a toll on you.
So why don't why do people come and then why don't they go back?
That's a very interesting thing. Yes, some most of us eventually very do very well and we come back on our feet. But not going back is also because when you come here, you burn your bridges already. You quit your job. You rented out their house or sold their house. You sold most of your possessions, and starting afresh by going back would be as hard as starting afresh here. So you're already here, so a person decides why not work hard and make it here now? Because going back, well, you'll have to work equally hard.
So you, you think, um, Canada doesn't really offer the immigrants, uh, very— like they say, a very good quality Of life, not really that way.
Even if you were to let's say within a country, even if let's say from North India you were to go to any South India and you were to like totally just leave everything and start a life of fresh or something, the same thing would happen. So when whenever we approach ourselves and go to different location and try and establish roots, your health will get better.
So but they also say that. Staying in the same place makes you stagnant and makes you, makes you, uh, uh, like in, um, makes you look at the world. Your mental health will not evolve. You cannot evolve if you do not travel and settle in different places. Then your mental health is not evolved.
That's what also people also say. Yes, but when they are referring to that you're staying in the same place, they're talking about traveling. You could very much live in one place, travel the world, and come back to where you are. And that traveling helps you.
But you're saying that uprooting yourself is—
uprooting yourself will take a toll on your physical and mental health, whether you're doing it within the country or you're going to another country.
So, um, what is the government plan since you've been in a state department for a very long time?
And now I'm an immigrant myself, so the government tries their level best. They have So many services for newcomers. There are so many not-for-profits who are helping newcomers. So what the newcomers can actually do is do their homework very well, because there's so much, so many services available to newcomers. They're just not aware of it.
Yeah, nobody, nobody— I don't think anybody who's watching this is aware that newcomers are given mental support somewhere.
Yes, they are.
They think they are lonely and alone in This country and the struggling?
There's so many not-for-profits who work in the sector of newcomer settlement, and they will provide all kinds of support. They even help you find jobs, they help you find housing, they help you find— they even have programs for teaching you like grocery shopping in the local country, cooking in the country. They have all kinds of programs. And also, when you are facing financial hardship, there are programs that will help you through that.
Oh, that's a very interesting thing to know.
So what newcomers should actually do is connect with their local Community centers, local not-for-profits, and there is that is where you find for help.
So how do we find? I'll try to give you some links below the description in the description where you can find some local non-not-for-profit not-for-profit not-for-profit organizations.
I can give you a few numbers and they're very easy to remember. So you've all heard of nine one one. Like everybody, whether you're in Canada or you're outside, you know what 911 is. So 911 is only for emergencies. Please remember that. Do not call 911 unless you are physically ill or you are in danger, like you need police or ambulance or fire.
Only then call 911.
Otherwise, there are other numbers. So there is a number called 211.
Okay, so 211, remember that.
211, when you call 211, they connect you with services. So you tell them, I'm looking for a job. They will give you the number of a not-for-profit which helps you find a job, makes your resume, gives you coaching.
All free of cost?
All for free. Oh, and you get— or if you're looking for housing, they'll connect you with an organization that finds housing. So 211 is a number to connect. Daycare, anything, all kinds of services. 211. And 211 is in every city, so wherever you are That's a very interesting thing to know.
I, I'm sure the— this is a small bite video that I'm doing because this is something very interesting we found out today, that immigrants suffer from huge health problems in Canada. And that is why, why we become so unhealthy. And lots of people are, you know, suffering from diabetes and high blood High blood pressure.
So many things stress related.
Stress related. Because by the time they settle down, already it's already taken a toll.
There's another number to remember which is 311, and that's again local to every city. So 311 connects you to your city services. Let's say you are in an apartment building which most of the newcomers end up when they come to live, or they live in a basement of a house, and your landlord is not turning on the heat, the water is dirty, Or whatever there's issues with the building, call three one one.
This is new to me.
They will come and help you. This is new to me. If there are bed bugs in your apartment, call three one one. Something as simple as the neighbor's dog is very aggressive, call three one one. If there is an ice cream truck parked outside your house every night making noise, you can't sleep, call three one one. So three one one is a number for city services. Two one one is a number for all kinds of. Not from Pakistan.
Okay, that's good to know. Remember this, and I just hope, you know, you guys benefit from listening to this video. Listen to Anju and, uh, try to remember these 3 numbers. I will list them in the description also so you can, uh, hopefully you like watching this. Please subscribe to my channel for more such information coming from Canada, and you guys take care and Subscribe to my channel and have a very good evening. Very good evening, everyone. Good evening.
