Canada Calling: Immigrants leaving Canada in greater numbers, study shows

“This period may reflect the time immigrants spend trying to integrate into Canada by seeking employment, finding a place to live, and adapting to life in Canada. Some immigrants may also emigrate if they encounter challenges in integration or if they had intended to do so from the outset,” the StatsCan report says.

It further states that immigrants from certain countries are more likely to migrate again. More than 25% of immigrants born in Taiwan, the United States, France, Hong Kong, or Lebanon emigrated within 20 years of admission.

On the other hand, the report notes that emigration by people from India is lower.

However, it’s important to bear in mind that this study is based on data until 2017. While the influx of immigrants from India to Canada has significantly increased, recently – at least anecdotally – a number of Indians are choosing to return home or move to other countries.

A couple of years ago, while hosting a phone-in show for a Toronto-based South Asian radio station, I asked listeners if they had considered leaving Canada due to rising unaffordability. A significant number answered in the affirmative. Those who said yes were overwhelmingly young and from high-skilled fields such as technology and finance. They cited fewer opportunities, lower wages, higher taxes, and prohibitively high housing costs as reasons for considering a move. Many were waiting for their Canadian citizenship to arrive so they could move to the U.S. and work there. Those that were content in Canada frequently worked in logistics, trades, hospitality, or real estate – fields that are in demand in this country. And most had a house here.

This aligns with another study last year by the Institute for Canadian Citizenship and the Conference Board of Canada, which showed that newcomers were emigrating in search of better opportunities elsewhere.

That study revealed that the number of immigrants who left Canada between 2017 and 2019 was a staggering 31 percent above the historical average.

The institute’s CEO, Daniel Bernhard, said it was a major cause of concern for Canada, which heavily relies on immigration to grow its population and widen the tax base.

“If we don’t shift our mindset, we will never solve these problems,” he was quoted as saying by Global News. “What immigrants are telling us is actually, maybe you’re not as hot as you think.”

Daksh Panwar is an Ontario-based journalist and broadcaster.