You're quite right. My recommendation is that the qualifying criteria for receiving employment insurance need to be revamped. I would agree with you that this is a huge problem, because most immigrants don't qualify because they haven't been here long enough. But even those who have been here a year and longer don't qualify--77% of unemployed Torontonians.
It's a huge issue, and I agree with you totally that it should be amended to look at that issue to include newcomers.