Government-assisted refugees are more likely to put down roots where they originally settled

Refugees resettled as part of the Government-Assisted Refugees Program are assigned to designated communities across Canada to ensure that the benefits of immigration, including economic growth and ethnocultural diversity, can be shared throughout the country. A new study explores why government-assisted refugees are more likely to stay in their designated community than they were at the beginning of the millennium.

The likelihood of government-assisted refugees remaining in their designated destinations by the end of their first full year after landing has increased considerably, rising from 71% for refugees who settled from 2000 to 2004 to 85% for those who settled from 2010 to 2014 and 2015 to 2018.

Over four in five government-assisted refugees (85%) were settled in medium-sized and small cities across Canada.

Government-assisted refugees are more likely to settle in their designated destination when they are resettled with refugees from the same community in the same year and the presence of co-ethnic communities. Government-assisted refugees were also more likely to stay in cities with Resettlement Assistance Program Service Provider Organizations that have been in operation for more than 10 years.

Regardless of the size of the intended destination, the rate of out-migration was highest in the year of arrival and the following year but drastically tapered off following this period. For example, among government-assisted refugees destined for medium-sized cities, about one-quarter had left by the first year after landing, but it took a subsequent nine years for an additional 11% to leave.

Approximately two-thirds of refugees who were assigned to medium-sized census metropolitan areas (CMAs) ultimately stayed, and 39% to 44% of those who were assigned to small CMAs and small urban areas stayed 10 years after immigration. These rates were similar to those of economic immigrants whose initial destinations were not assigned by the government.

The rate of retention by the end of the first full year after landing among government-assisted refugees tended to be highest in Vancouver and medium-sized cities, followed by small cities. Montréal had the lowest rates for most arrivals during all three periods studied.

When government-assisted refugees do leave their intended destination, the majority do not choose to resettle in Canada’s large gateway cities of Toronto, Vancouver or Montréal. Instead, they are more likely to move to a mid-sized community with a Resettlement Assistance Program Service Provider Organization.