It's OK if Canada isn't for you': This Calgary newcomer wants to go back home. She isn't alone
Two-fifths of newcomers would consider leaving Canada, CBC survey suggests
This story is part of Welcome to Canada, a CBC News series about immigration as told through the eyes of those who have experienced it.
A year and a half after leaving the Philippines to settle in Canada, Ali Quina is seriously considering returning home. Life here is much harder than you think, she said.
Quina came to Calgary in search of opportunity and a better quality of life. But even after moving here with professional experience in marketing and earning a certificate from the University of Calgary, she is struggling to find work in her field. Advertising
So she works part-time as a waitress and says she's struggling to make ends meet.
"My daily routine consists of getting up in the morning, sending applications, and then tears. [...] To be honest, I can barely afford to pay for my groceries," said Quina.
"Just based on my experience, but Canada is no longer the land of opportunity." Today, he shares a message with other newcomers who feel that the difficulties are not paid: "It's okay if Canada doesn't it's not for you."
He's not the only one who thinks so, according to a new CBC News survey on the experiences of newcomers, conducted by Pollara.
Although eight out of ten newcomers have an overall positive experience in Canada, more than 40% of the newcomers interviewed said they would be likely to leave Canada if given the choice.
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The waving flags
Although 40 percent of the new respondents said they would consider leaving Canada, a migration researcher in Calgary said he did not expect an increase in emigration.
They said they have felt homesick, faced discrimination and struggled to find housing and quality employment. Nearly a third said they would leave Canada to return to their home country, while the rest (20%) said they would move to the United States later.
The survey, conducted by market research firm Pollara in November using an online panel, included 1,507 people who came to Canada in the past 10 years. A national survey of this size would normally have a margin of error of +/- 2.5%. Despite the challenges newcomers face, a Calgary migration researcher said he doesn't expect an increase in immigration, but he does expect to see more status newcomers return to the country temporarily due to recent policy changes and the current political climate surrounding immigration.
What the data says
Statistics Canada's latest immigration analysis shows that more than 15% of immigrants leave the country within 20 years of their arrival.
People born in countries with generally higher living standards, including Taiwan, the United States and France, are more likely to return home. And in Canada, if people do leave, they usually do so within three to seven years of arriving.
But a recent report from the Canadian Citizenship Institute, which helps newcomers settle here, says that a growing number of immigrants are leaving the country. Skilled newcomers are more likely to leave, the report said.
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"When they leave, we lose," the institute's CEO Daniel Bernhard told CBC News in an interview in November.
"We have to look at supply and demand and recognize that, yes, there are opportunities to reform the system to make it smarter. But we have to make sure that the people who are chosen to come here are primarily there to succeed. Opening the door is not enough."
However, compared to larger cities like Toronto and Vancouver, newcomers who settle in Calgary are more likely to stay in Canada, according to the report.
Temporary newcomers may leave
Robert Falconer, a researcher at the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy, said it's not surprising that so many newcomers are expressing interest in leaving given the state of the economy.
"Even though inflation has fallen, this is still a very real experience for many people." "COVID has been very difficult," said Falconer, who specializes in migration.
But he's not too concerned about the survey numbers — he said they don't mean a mass exodus of newcomers is in the works. A small portion of immigrants who say they want to leave Canada are doing so, he said.
However, he expects to see some changes in the short term.
"We are very likely to see an increase in the emigration of international students, temporary foreign workers, etc. "I think the restrictions imposed by the federal government will make people leave," Falconer said.
The federal government is reducing immigration targets to stabilize population growth. Among other measures, the government is reducing international student permits by 10% and imposing more restrictions on work permits for spouses of foreign workers and international students enrolled in master's programs.
Local organizations that support newcomers say that challenging immigration in Canada and the United States could send a message that blames immigrants for economic problems and lead to increased hostility toward new immigrants.
Falconer said it could also influence people's decisions to stay, so it's important for politicians to be very careful about the language they use around immigration.
As for Quina, she's giving herself a few more months before making a final decision about her departure. She's leaning toward closing her businesses and returning home when her post-graduation work permit expires in November, rather than finding another way to stay. In the meantime, she's sharing her experience on social media, in the hope that other newcomers facing the same challenges won't feel alone.
"There's nothing wrong with giving up," Quina said. "It won't be the end of everything, but the beginning of a new chapter."
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