Report Reveals Data, Suggestions on Recovering from Pandemic’s Impact on Immigration

A new report has revealed data pertaining to how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected immigration to Canada.

The report was published by the Conference Board of Canada, which is a Canadian research organization that reports on various issues.

Titled “Counting on Immigration,” the report provides analysis on how the pandemic has affected various numbers relating to immigration. Specifically, it looks at topics from immigrant classes to the geographic spread of immigrants – all of which are contextualized by the effects of the pandemic.

Notably, the report explains that the composition of immigrant classes brought into Canada changed during the first six months of the pandemic. Immigrants with work or educational experience were more likely to be accepted, while other classes saw large drops: the rate of immigrants from the ‘refugee’ class dropped by 72 percent, while the rate from the ‘family’ class dropped by 63 percent.

The report also found that the pandemic’s effects on immigration in Canada differed by province.

“COVID-19 has hindered regionalization efforts that were helping to grow admissions in locations that don’t usually settle many immigrants,” the report says. Meanwhile, the provinces that typically accept more immigrants, like Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia, did not face effects as harsh as other provinces.

In terms of overall acceptance of permanent resident admissions, numbers dropped during the first six months following the start of the pandemic. However, the report explains that those numbers are slowly recovering.

The Report Provided Suggestions of Ways To Offset The Pandemic’s Effects

The report provided four examples of ways to limit the unexpected effects of the pandemic. These include:

  • Increasing support for immigrants by focusing on economic integration
  • Prioritizing regionalization to even out immigration throughout the country
  • Improving immigrants’ economic circumstances with federal policy changes
  • Considering a broader mix of immigrant classes for acceptance into Canada

You can learn more about the report at: conferenceboard.ca.