New ICC/Conference Board Report Calls for Broad, Concerted Efforts to Retain Immigrants

November 19, 2024 – A new report from the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC), conducted by the Conference Board of Canada shows that immigrants are leaving Canada in record numbers, particularly the high-skilled immigrants Canada urgently needs. 

“These are tradespeople who build our homes, nurses who care for our loved ones, truckers who facilitate commerce, and entrepreneurs who spur innovation,” said ICC CEO Daniel Bernhard. “And they are increasingly headed out the door.” 

Bernhard notes that the concerning findings of the report, entitled, “The Leaky Bucket 2024: A closer look at immigrant onward migration in Canada,” coincide with 30-year lows in public support for immigration. 

“Canadians are bombarded with commentary telling them that high immigration levels are to blame for homegrown challenges including housing supply, inaccessible healthcare, crime, and even traffic,” said Bernhard. “Be careful what you wish for. This is globally coveted talent with global options. We need programs that entice them to stay, become active citizens and help fuel our economy.” 

The report follows ICC’s first “Leaky Bucket” report released in 2023, also produced by the Conference Board of Canada. That original study revealed the alarming trend of immigrants leaving Canada in growing numbers to seek opportunity elsewhere. This year’s report provides updated figures and digs deeper into the characteristics of those immigrants who are leaving in greater and greater numbers. Highlights of the findings include: 

• Francophone immigrants to Quebec and Ontario are much more likely than Anglophone immigrants to leave Canada to seek opportunity elsewhere 
• The most populous cities in Canada—Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver— see high turnover rates of immigrants. They function as hubs for immigrant communities to access resources and support for their settlement journey 
• In contrast, fast-growing, mid-sized cities in other provinces (Calgary, Alberta, Halifax, Nova Scotia and Moncton, New Brunswick) see the opposite trend, but have potentially greater challenges retaining immigrants in communities outside of their larger cities 
• The Atlantic provinces see the highest rates of onward migration in Canada in the shorter term (three to seven years after arrival), but the lowest rates longer term (25 years and more after arrival) 
• The highest two origin nations of immigrants leaving Canada are a combination of countries allowing dual citizenship (Lebanon) and those restricting citizenship only to that country (South Korea).  

The Report includes recommendations to help stem the outward flow of newcomers, such as: 

1.  Support provinces and municipalities to understand onward migration trends and address unique challenges in their cities and regions. 
2. Develop short-term and long-term strategies to address retention challenges at different points in immigrants’ settlement journeys. 
3. Engage educational institutions and settlement service organisations in the retention conversation. 
4. Consider the impact of language integration on retention and build out Francophone programs.   

Read the full report here: “The Leaky Bucket 2024: A Closer Look at Immigrant onward migration in Canada.”

About ICC 

The Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) aspires to a Canada where newcomers don’t just come but stay, naturalize, succeed, and contribute maximally to our shared success. The ICC is best known for its Canoo Access Pass, a mobile app that currently provides over 750,000 newcomers with free and discounted access to more than 2,000 of Canada’s best culture, nature and sport experiences, plus exclusive deals with leading brands, so that they fall in love with Canada, stay, and become enthusiastic citizens

Media Contact 

Alex Nanoff 
613.709.6318 
media@inclusion.ca 

Click here to read the report

The Leaky Bucket 2024