The UBC Centre for Migration Studies launched Immigration Policy Decoded, a new series of policy explainers. We spoke with CMS Research Associate Dr. Lisa Brunner and CMS Co-Director Prof. Irene Bloemraad about what inspired the series and what it aims to achieve.
We’re excited to be launching the new policy explainer series you’re authoring, Immigration Policy Decoded. What led to its development?
Lisa Ruth Brunner: The series grows out of a need, identified by one of CMS’s community partners, for trustworthy, timely analysis of immigration issues.
Back in January 2024, the Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of BC (AMSSA) approached me for support to address two challenges: countering misinformation about immigration with credible evidence, and helping the immigrant-serving sector better understand complex, fast-changing policies. Organizations had to react quickly to rapid policy shifts and needed accessible analysis to understand the changes, react and plan ahead.
I began to research and write short, bi-weekly “explainers” for AMSSA’s member organizations. The briefs covered topics ranging from the Immigration Levels Plan and the B.C. provincial election to Canadian far-right extremism. They were designed to be clear and timely, for non-experts, but they also included lots of links for those who wanted to dig deeper. The briefs were really well-received.
Can you say a bit more about the current project?
Irene Bloemraad: The original briefs were for members of AMSSA, but we started to hear that other people – policy analysts in government, people interested in current events – were also reading and benefiting from them. So there was growing interest in making the “explainers” publicly available. This aligns with CMS’s commitment to mobilizing research and knowledge for public impact.
In consultation with AMSSA and the Centre’s Community Advisory Board, we then committed to producing a new series, available to anyone, focused on emerging immigration issues. Immigration Policy Decoded aims to help people across B.C., whether they work with immigrants, work in government, work in the media, or are part of the general public, better understand immigration policy. We want to support more informed, evidence-based public discussion.
Given how easily immigration policy debates can be shaped by misinformation and rhetoric, what role can a research centre like CMS play in fostering more balanced, evidence-based public discussions?
I.B.: You are right. Immigration has become more polarized and politicized in Canada and abroad. Unfortunately, just when we need more thoughtful public debate, we also see fewer and fewer media institutions with enough resources to produce well-researched, original journalism. Today, journalists have to move quickly, from one story to the next. Very few have expertise on immigration. This allows fringe and social media to spread misinformation and circulate oversimplified, reactive narratives.
We want CMS to be a credible, non-partisan intermediary. We can cut through research or legislative jargon to summarize information in accessible ways. We can share a range of views, not just polemical opinion, including perspectives that might otherwise be obscured, such as the experiences of people who lose their immigration status. We can draw on our skills as researchers – our access to data, our strong methodological training and our subject-matter expertise – to produce careful, rigorous work.
How do you decide which topics or policy developments to focus on in Immigration Policy Decoded? Can you give a sense of how the series will connect ongoing policy changes with longer‑term debates about immigration and citizenship in Canada?
L.R.B.: We “decode” policy by breaking it down, providing context, and explaining why it matters and what may come next. The briefs are meant to, first, help readers understand what is going on and, if they want, to empower them to respond in a way that is relevant to them.
Our first brief is on Bill C-12, which came into law last month. The legislation is important. It has significant implications for Canadian immigration and refugee protection. But the bill is also incredibly complex. It requires a lot of work to unpack. The bill and its implications are a major topic of discussion among people working with immigrants, from lawyers and service-providers to immigrant advocates, as well as many temporary residents and refugee claimants themselves. Yet the broader public doesn’t know much about the legislation. That’s where our “decoding” comes in.
Moving forward, we’ll be looking for other opportunities to advance public education in this way. We will continue to work with partners like AMSSA to identify the most pressing topics. And we welcome suggestions. Feel free to email us your requests!
Looking specifically at Immigration Policy Decoded, how do you hope the series will support practitioners in navigating complex or changing policy landscapes?
L.R.B.: Traditionally, policy briefs aim to influence government decision-makers. This series is different. We want to inform people rather than advocate for a specific policy. For example, immigrants, allies, and those who work with migrants have deep expertise in the on-the-ground realities. But they are often stretched thin and managing heavy workloads. Many organizations are dealing with funding cuts. Keeping up with fast-changing policy or synthesizing research (rather than AI slop!) can be challenging if not impossible.
We want the CMS series to support people in seeing the bigger picture. From there, they are best positioned to determine how to respond, whether by adapting programs, advocating for clients or something else. For example, we heard that earlier briefs developed for AMSSA were used to prepare for media interviews and meetings with elected officials.
Do you think there’s a role for Immigration Policy Decoded to also support faculty and students?
I.B.: Absolutely! The series can be a useful teaching resource. Short, accessible briefs help create a shared baseline for discussion and make complex policy issues more approachable in the classroom. Also, for graduate students, the briefs can help students situate their research within contemporary political and policy debates and identify opportunities to contribute to policy-relevant conversations.
Indeed, there is such a depth of expertise within the CMS community – expertise we want to leverage. One of the Centre’s goals is to serve as a bridge between research and social, community and policy impact. UBC can feel far away from policy-making centres in Ottawa or Victoria, so we want to provide one avenue to show how research can contribute to public knowledge and impact.
