Media series spotlights Mokhles, in his own words
“We felt settled and safe. We had missed this feeling since we fled Iraq,” said Mokhles Abdulghani. “We’re finally permanent residents in Canada. That means we have rights now. That means a lot to me. My family and I can plan for a good future.”
In his latest diary entry shared with Canada’s largest daily paper, the Toronto Star, Mokhles described the feeling of receiving his family’s permanent residence cards in the mail. He described their first barbeque with friends in Canada. He explained the first day at school for his daughter, Razan, who began at “hi” to her classmates and came home full with a new language: “It was amazing to see her talking in English after her first day of school.”
These are glimpses into the chaos and wonder of first weeks in Canada, in a world away from places lived before. Mokhles uses his own words and photos to show us around.
“From Jordan to Morden” is a series documented by the Toronto Star on the ups and downs of life in Canada for a very unique family, from their perspective. They are former refugees from Iraq who arrived in Canada, after living displaced in Jordan, with the support of TBB under a Canadian Government pilot to support talented refugees to relocate as skilled workers.
Follow their journey so far:
September 9: “Family’s first week out of quarantine, welcoming gifts and support from Star readers, and dad’s first job in Canada”
September 17: “Family moves into a permanent Canadian home, the kid’s first day at school, and feeling safe for the first time since fleeing Iraq”
Mokhles is an exceptional person in a lot of ways. He’s a mechatronics engineer, earned a Master’s degree while living displaced, has a peer-reviewed paper coming out, is a husband and father of three, and became the first candidate supported by TBB to begin his skilled visa application with a community nomination instead of a job offer.
Candidates working with TBB typically receive a job offer as the stepping stone to an immigration application. But Mokhles helped us test out a unique community-driven skilled migration model.
Canada has over 100 skilled visa pathways targeted to different skills, occupations or regions. Mokhles applied through Manitoba’s Provincial Nominee Program which enables some communities to nominate skilled workers who match local hiring needs and who intend to put down roots in the community. The City of Morden interviewed and nominated Mokhles and, many steps and months later, he and his family arrived in their new community. For the right to nominate skilled immigrants, the city takes responsibility for supporting them to thrive. Local city and settlement staff support newcomers to travel from the airport, find housing, connect with hiring managers, register kids in school, get a bank account, meet friends, and take innumerable other steps towards settlement.
Morden made a brilliant selection of skills: Mokhles had a remote interview with local manufacturer ON2 Solutions during his first weeks in Canada while still in quarantine. On his first business day out of quarantine, he landed an offer. He began work the next day.
ON2 Solutions builds oxygen generators to supply industrial and medical facilities across Canada. Mokhles arrived as production had increased during the pandemic.
Talented candidates like Mokhles have a lot to offer communities and companies in need of skills. The City of Morden has proven that potential and further opened the range of skilled mobility options available to refugees.
In the morning sunlight of his first work day, Mokhles filmed a short video as he walked 30 minutes through town to work. “The most amazing thing I got yesterday is a job offer with a great company. Really the kind of job that I like, I’m a manufacturing technician,” he said. “I’m so excited about this job.”