The Canadians’ support for immigration is relatively extraordinary, and the Century Initiative acknowledged this fact under Public Opinion and Immigration- Maintaining Canada’s Advantage. The latest report claims that immigration is the chief factor behind the country’s success. Besides, Canada will have a competitive edge over other countries due to immigration. And this is all due to the immense support all Canadians have shown for the immigrants.
‘Century Initiative’ even encouraged the rise of the Canadian population due to the social and economic benefits it will provide. It motivated Canada to increase its population to 100 million individuals by 2100 to avail of these benefits.
Furthermore, Canadians’ support for immigration only witnessed a steady rise beginning late 1990s. Later, there wasn’t any drastic decline due to the 2008 global recession or the 2020s pandemic.
This most recent report also revealed that Canada significantly rose in its multiculturism characteristic. Moreover, 64 percent of Canadians affirmed that Canada’s identity could be revealed through its multiculturalism symbol.
Additionally, this accounts for significant growth, per the data, stating that only 37 percent of Canadians supported immigration around 25 years ago.
Interestingly, the primary reason behind this support is that the chief percentage of the entire Canadian population forms immigrants. According to the 2021 data, between 2016 and 2021, nearly 1,3 million new PRs prolonged their Canadian stay. Per the data of Statistics Canada, the immigration population is predicted to grow by 34 percent by 2041.
Canadians’ support for immigration is a result of their understanding of immigration
The primary immigration strategy must be to retain the Canadians’ positive approach toward immigration. Additionally, the country is preparing to receive as many as 500,000 new permanent residents by the latter half of 2025.
The Environics Institute conducted a detailed study, “Focus Canada.” This research group gathers data on Canada’s Public Opinion on Canadian challenges.
According to the study’s findings, seven out of 10 Canadians approve of the country’s existing immigration policies. The Environics Institute started tracking this 45 years ago. Ever since has been the highest level of support. It claims Canadians know the significance of immigration as it will boost the country’s economy and population.
The idea of bringing in more immigrants and refugees to Canada is also gaining support. The survey claims that 76% of Canadians believe that Canada should receive more immigrants from regions that are going through serious conflicts. Again, this represents a significant increase from 34% in 1993.
The country’s “international brand,” as the report refers to, is one of the primary determinants of its capacity to draw immigrants. Regarding housing, safety, education, healthcare, and a tolerant society, Canada is viewed as having a high standard of living abroad. Hence, Canada is in a good position to draw and keep immigrants.
What are the risk factors?
It is probable that there will continue to be a significant influx of immigrants due to the way people view Canada and the fact that most Canadians support immigration.
The report nevertheless emphasizes the significance of keeping welcoming conditions for newcomers. In December 2022, the Century Initiative did a risk-factor analysis and found four potential developing hazards that would have a detrimental influence on immigration:
- Inexpensive housing is available.
- Public facilities and services
- Monetary difficulties
- Political speech
For all Canadians, especially new immigrants, finding an affordable home is a concern. According to the study, among OECD members, Canada endured one of the biggest house price rises between 2005 and 2020.
The most recent figures from the Canadian Real Estate Association show that the average price of a property in Canada is currently $612,204. Meanwhile, where more than 40% of newcomers prefer to settle, Ontario has a $798,835 average home price. Further, Canada recently passed legislation that forbids non-citizens or non-permanent residents from purchasing the residential property. There are some exceptions, but temporary residents continue to face severe difficulties.
Public services and infrastructure are also problematic. Canada needs immigrants to fill critical labor market shortages and maintain a robust economy. Still, they are less likely to pick Canada if they cannot access top-notch education or healthcare facilities. For instance, the Canadian healthcare industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. According to December data from Statistics Canada, 17.7% of all open positions fell under the healthcare industry.
Additionally, the Canadian economy is solid; hence, even the Bank of Canada claims it won’t witness any significant recession in 2023.
Even yet, the BoC increased interest rates in an attempt to slow the economy by discouraging borrowing and spending despite the high current rate of inflation. The rate stood at 6.9% as of last January. GDP growth is anticipated to stagnate and fall from 3.6% in 2022 to roughly 1% through 2023.
According to the survey, political discourse can negatively impact how foreigners regard Canada.
Politicians occasionally blame higher immigration rates for adverse effects on wages and employment. Francois Legault, the premier of Quebec, and Maxime Bernier, the leader of the People’s Party, are in the report. They are termed as having “shared anti-immigrant political rhetoric.” However, such language remains rare in Canadian politics. All three of Canada’s major political parties—the NDP, the Conservatives, and the Liberals suggest that the country needs more immigrants. They must support the ambitious goals set forth in the Immigration Levels Plan.
Canadian immigration is the essential suggestion
The Century Initiative report includes suggestions for how to keep the United States a top immigration destination. Using the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot and the Global Skills Strategy, for instance, the research recommends that Canada could encourage and increase the corporate attractiveness of immigrants.
Additionally, it suggests that more money should be spent on proactive incentives to draw in skilled immigrants and businesspeople. According to the report, Canada’s existing Start-Up Visa Program is underwhelming. It only covers 0.1% of new immigrants and takes nearly three years to process.
Obtaining the proper credentials to work in their industry is one of the biggest hurdles for newcomers. Consequently, some immigrants take up professions for which they are overqualified. According to the report, offering excellent work for immigrants is doable if businesses and regulatory agencies can increase recognition of international expertise and qualifications. They can establish improved recruiting practices to eliminate criteria and laws that are implicitly prejudiced.
