Key Findings
Best practice (100% score)
Eligibility and rights associated with family reunion
Dual nationality
Fields of application and equality policies for anti-discrimination law
Political liberties for political participation
Rights associated with labour market access
Favourable
Labour market access
Eligibility for long term residence
Anti-discrimination
Critically unfavourable (0% score)
Electoral rights and consultative bodies for political participation
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Overview
Permanent immigration across all categories reached a decade-long high in 2005. 60% were migrant workers and their families and 24% were reuniting with relatives already in Canada. In line with global trends, flows of asylum seekers reached lows unseen since the 1980s.
The government has facilitated immigration for family members and international students. The Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers set out a new Strategic Direction on Immigration in 2005. Among the priorities were: coordination at the provincial level, improved client service, shorter waiting times, and measures to ensure that migrants can fully use their potential in Canada.
In Canada, anti-discrimination is the strongest of the six areas of integration policy measured by MIPEX, with the third most favourable score of the 28 countries. Family reunion and access to nationality policies are also fourth-best, but score further from best practice. Labour market access is favourable, as in SE, ES, PT and IT. Canada's lowest score is on political participation, where it ranks between EE and AT.
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Integration Policy Timeline
04/11/2005
New Strategic Direction on Immigration signed by Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Ministers
21/11/2005
Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement increased settlement funds for counseling services and language, jobs, and skills training
15/11/2006
New Strategic Plan to foster immigration to francophone minority communities
18/02/2006
2006 Federal Budget allocated 18 million Canadian dollars for new Foreign Credentials Referral Office
12/2006
Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) facilitated the entry of international students
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Migrant Profile
Footnotes
1 OECD, SOPEMI, 2007 (all non-nationals and foreign-born nationals)
2 OECD, SOPEMI, 2007 (all non-nationals and foreign-born nationals)
3 2001 Census
4 OECD, SOPEMI, 2007 (all non-nationals and foreign-born nationals)
5 OECD, SOPEMI, 2007
6 OECD, SOPEMI, 2007 (based largely on standardised residence and work permit data, includes accompanying family)
7 MPG, Migration News Sheet, April 2007 (figures revised on a monthly basis)
8 OECD, Education at a Glance, 2006
9 OECD, SOPEMI, 2007
10 OECD, SOPEMI, 2007
