One in five immigrants who come to Canada ultimately leave the country within 25 years, with about one-third of those people moving on within the first five years.
The findings come from a report by the Institute for Canadian Citizenship and the Conference Board of Canada, which looked at the issue of onward migration for the second time.
The report is based on data collected up to the end of 2020. It finds that over the previous 30 years, the rate of immigrants leaving Canada had been on an upward trajectory.
B次元官网网址淭he number of immigrants leaving Canada reached an all-time high in 2020. Despite extreme pandemic travel restrictions, immigrants found ways to leave the country in record numbers and despite multiple opportunities to return, they chose not to,B次元官网网址� said Daniel Bernhard, CEO of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship.
To come up with the data, the study combined information on immigration rates from Statistics Canada with tax filing information. They consider someone an onward migrant if there was no T-1 family file for two years, and then never again up until 2021.
The report found that economic immigrants are the most likely to leave Canada and refugees are the least likely to leave. Some of those who left returned to their country of origin, while others moved on to a new third country.
B次元官网网址淭he most sobering implication is the two categories of immigrants Canada prioritizes most B次元官网网址� those are economic immigrants and francophones B次元官网网址� those are actually the least likely to make Canada their forever home,B次元官网网址� Bernhard said.
Nearly half of onward migrants since 1982 were economic immigrants: people who applied for permanent residency and it was granted based on their possession of skills that are valued in the labour market.
The Institute for Canadian Citizenship is calling on the federal government to develop strategies on how to better retain immigrants, especially in the first five years.
B次元官网网址淚f you remain optimistic about the prospects of that investment, youB次元官网网址檙e very likely to continue contributing your talent and energy to CanadaB次元官网网址檚 success. So this is an all-of-Canada effort,B次元官网网址� Bernhard said.
B次元官网网址淚mmigrants are increasingly disappearing from the country, but sadly, our shortages in housing, in the housing workforce, in early childhood education and in health care, those needs are not disappearing.B次元官网网址�
The report focuses on hard numbers, but based on public opinion research the institute has conducted, Bernhard said affordability played a factor in peopleB次元官网网址檚 decisions to leave.
Immigration Minister Marc MillerB次元官网网址檚 office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Francophone immigrants are more likely to leave than their English peers, with the report finding a 35 per cent long-term onward migration rate.
The highest proportion of people leaving the country had settled in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver B次元官网网址� while smaller cities like Calgary, Halifax and Moncton saw greater immigrant retention.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 19, 2024.
David Baxter, The Canadian Press
