It may sound strange and a bit suspicious to say that Canada always has a special welcome for immigrants. But the truth is indeed so. According to the latest statistics, each year, about more than 200,000 foreigners immigrate to Canada. Immigrants account for nearly 25% of Canada's population. Why does this country facilitate so many immigrants? Or why do many people want to obtain Canadian citizenship? Let's explore together in today's story.
Why do Canadians want many immigrants?
Before exploring the reasons why Canada desires many immigrants, let's take a look back at the history of immigration in Canada. First is the great migration in the early 19th century, during which about 800,000 people came to Canada from the British Isles, stemming from Canada's need for labor to develop new lands. Next, at the end of the 19th century, the population growth in western Canada was not fast enough to counter the number of Americans crossing the border and settling there. Without people, it is hard to keep the land.
Therefore, the Canadian government initiated a settlement program from the United Kingdom and other European countries. This led to a large wave of people settling in new towns along the border with the United States. The next wave came after World War II, during which many Italians and Portuguese immigrated. In fact, Italians became the third largest group to settle during that period, making Canada an even more multicultural nation.
What about now? Why does Canada still want many immigrants?
Currently, immigrants coming to this country mainly come from Asian countries such as China, Vietnam, South Asian countries, and Caribbean nations. Geographically, Canada is the second largest country in the world, only after the Russian Federation. This country has about 38 million people, and its population density is also unevenly distributed. It is one of the countries with the lowest population density in the world, and we can see that the area and population of Canada are very disproportionate.
In addition, this country possesses a large amount of raw materials such as metals, oil, and wood. The population is not large enough to exploit these natural resources. This leads to a constant labor shortage, necessitating the encouragement of more immigrants. For example, attracting Chinese workers to build railways, British and European workers to develop agriculture. Canada also has a low birth rate, and in addition to not having enough high-quality labor to develop economic sectors, this also means that there are fewer taxpayers to support the increasing ratio of elderly citizens. There are many retirees but fewer workers. Therefore, one of the goals of increasing the population through immigration, besides supplementing the labor force, is also to adjust this imbalance.
Furthermore, Canada, like many other countries in the world, needs intelligent and creative labor forces.
Companies in Canada always hire a large number of workers from foreign immigrants. For example, telecommunications companies in this country have nearly 40% of their employees as immigrants. Businesses here often employ staff from Pakistan, India, Poland, Iran, Russia, Nigeria, Germany, the United Kingdom, Morocco, the United States, and even Vietnam. And the workers coming to this country have better skills than the local workforce, which is how they can survive.
We know that typically, austerity policies cannot stimulate economic development. Just look at the COVID period to see that consumption needs to be stimulated for the economy to grow, and immigration is one of Canada's strategic policies. Young, energetic immigrants will help build life in Canada. These are the economic benefits that Canadians have calculated, seen, and truly implemented. Canada welcomes immigrants in various forms, from highly skilled workers to those immigrating through family sponsorship, or those coming as refugees for humanitarian purposes, as Canada is known for providing safety for those in difficulty. This has been the case since the end of World War II to demonstrate this country's humanitarian leadership role.
Why does Canada always attract many immigrants rather than other countries?
Canada's desire for immigration is one thing, but how to attract many people to immigrate to this country is another. First, this country must be a desirable place to live. Canada is among the most livable places in the world and attracts many investors because it effectively implements measures to ensure the happiness of its citizens based on happiness metrics. For example, housing, income, health, and security. While the real estate market in the U.S. has increased significantly, housing prices in Canada have stabilized, making it possible for many people to buy homes.
Canada is also a country with a leading developed economy, ranking in the top 10 economies in the world. This country has a strong industrial base, but most of Canada's GDP actually comes from the service sector, which has created jobs for Canadians and accounts for about 70% of the country's GDP. The unemployment rate is also very low, around 6%, while the average income per person in Canada is about $40,000. Additionally, this country has long been in a situation of labor shortage. It is also a country that makes it easy for people to immigrate because they encourage immigration, so there are many policies to support immigrants. Come here, and I will support you. Simply put, they create businesses and a labor force to develop the economy first, and then restore the economy to create material values.
Another advantage for immigrants is that tuition fees in Canada are much lower.
Many people will want to come to Canada to study, with undergraduate tuition averaging about $14,000 per year. Along with that, there are prestigious universities in Canada, such as the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia. This country is always proud to be one of the places with the best education in the world. Many immigrants come here hoping for a better future for their children. The welfare system is also a strong point of Canada. For example, during the pandemic in recent years, unemployment benefits for citizens were about $1,500 a month. This figure is also a dream for many people. In addition, Canada also provides free healthcare services for citizens through the public healthcare system, so Canadians hardly have to pay for any medical expenses or emergency services.
And if many people are still concerned, companies in this country do not discriminate between a foreign resident in Canada and a native Canadian. That is also the top recruitment criterion, above the level of job suitability, which creates comfort for workers when coming to this country to work. The biggest fear at work is discrimination, just like in Vietnam, where we sometimes still discriminate by region, let alone by nationality.
Canada is one of the countries with the lowest crime rates in the world, where citizens are always quickly supported, gun control laws are strict, unlike in the U.S., and there is a fair and transparent judicial system. This makes Canada a safe and livable country. With these factors, many people have settled in Canada, including many Vietnamese. In Canada, the Vietnamese community is estimated to be about 250,000 people and is increasingly developing in every aspect.
Vietnamese people are one of the largest ethnic communities in Canada, with 25% of Vietnamese descent working in manufacturing companies. About 10% are in fields related to science and technology, about 6% work in business management, and the rest serve mainly the Vietnamese community in Canada, notably in restaurants for Vietnamese people.