Marshia Akbar
Marshia Akbar is Director, BMO Newcomer Workforce Integration Lab at CERC in Migration and Integration, TMU. Her research broadly encompasses economic and social integration of migrants in Canada. She is particularly interested in analyzing how migration and settlement policies shape the labour market integration of migrants across Canadian cities.
Marshia's post-doctoral work at York University supported the SSHRC partnership "Building Migrant Resilience in Cities in Canada (BMRC)". This involved examining settlement policies and integration challenges in Ontario and Quebec, with findings published in journals and web reports.
Marshia collaborates closely with settlement agencies in urban areas to evaluate policies affecting temporary residents' eligibility for permanent residency and settlement services. Her work aims to uncover location-specific labor market obstacles and inform policy interventions. Recognized for her teaching, Marshia received the Contract Lecturer Teaching Award in 2022 from the TMU Faculty of Arts for her course "Immigration, Borders, and Belonging."
Recent Publications
Akbar, M. (2023). (PDF file) (PDF file) Best Practices in Supporting International Students enrolled in Toronto-area Colleges (external link) (external link) , Intergovernmental Committee for Labour Force Development (ICE) Report.
Akbar, M., Perzyna, M., Ellis, C., Monteiro, S., Nalbandian, L., & Smith, C. D. (2022). (PDF file) (PDF file) Immigration policy ‘on the fly’: A critical review of pandemic policymaking in Canada (external link) (external link) . Working paper.
Akbar, M., Niraula, A. & Triandafyllidou, A. (2022). Navigating Uncertainties: Evaluating the Shift of Canadian Immigration Policies during the COVID-19 Pandemic. (external link, opens in new window) (external link) Canadian Public Policy.