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The Economic Experiences of Refugees in Canada

Author

Listed:
  • DeVoretz, Don J.

    (Simon Fraser University)

  • Pivnenko, Sergiy

    (Simon Fraser University)

  • Beiser, Morton

    (University of Toronto)

Abstract

Canada admits refugees on the basis of compassion and not economic criteria. It is however, important to document the economic successes or failures among Canada’s refugee population in order to understand how post arrival integration policies affect refugee economic performance. This essay examines a set of economic indicators from Canada’s IMDB database to assess the post 1981 Canadian refugee economic experience. With the aid of a standard human capital model we answer a series of economic questions including the length of time required for refugee economic integration, their use of Canada’s social safety net, refugee poverty levels and refugee economic performance vis-à-vis Canada’s family immigrant class. Our main findings are that employed Canadian refugees earn an amount equal to that earned by their family class reference group circa 1980-2001. However, the incidence of social assistance attachment for refugees is substantial and for those refugees who receive any assistance their total income is at the near destitute level.

Suggested Citation

  • DeVoretz, Don J. & Pivnenko, Sergiy & Beiser, Morton, 2004. "The Economic Experiences of Refugees in Canada," IZA Discussion Papers 1088, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp1088
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Morton Beiser & Feng Hou, 2000. "Gender Differences in Language Acquisition and Employment Consequences among Southeast Asian Refugees in Canada," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 26(3), pages 311-330, September.
    2. DeVoretz, Don J. & Pivnenko, Sergiy, 2007. "The Immigration Triangle: Quebec, Canada and the Rest of the World," IZA Discussion Papers 2624, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
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    Cited by:

    1. Grady, Patrick, 2011. "An analysis of the poor performance of recent immigrants and observations on immigration policy," MPRA Paper 31289, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Marc-André Luik & Henrik Emilsson & Pieter Bevelander, 2018. "The male immigrant–native employment gap in Sweden: migrant admission categories and human capital," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 35(4), pages 363-398, December.
    3. Julia Bock-Schappelwein & Peter Huber, 2015. "Auswirkungen einer Erleichterung des Arbeitsmarktzuganges für Asylsuchende in Österreich," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 59410, January.
    4. Pieter Bevelander & Ravi Pendakur, 2012. "The labour market integration of refugee and family reunion immigrants: A comparison of outcomes in Canada and Sweden," Norface Discussion Paper Series 2012041, Norface Research Programme on Migration, Department of Economics, University College London.
    5. Djajić, Slobodan, 2014. "Asylum seeking and irregular migration," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 83-95.
    6. TimothyJ. Hatton, 2009. "The Rise and Fall of Asylum: What Happened and Why?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 119(535), pages 183-213, February.
    7. Peter Huber & Marian Fink & Thomas Horvath, 2020. "Data Sources on Migrants' Labour Market and Education Integration in Austria," WIFO Working Papers 613, WIFO.
    8. Lens, Dries & Marx, Ive & Vujic, Suncica, 2018. "Is Quick Formal Access to the Labor Market Enough? Refugees' Labor Market Integration in Belgium," IZA Discussion Papers 11905, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Guo, Shibao & DeVoretz, Don J., 2006. "Chinese Immigrants in Vancouver: Quo Vadis?," IZA Discussion Papers 2340, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Lens, Dries & Marx, Ive & Vujic, Suncica, 2018. "Does Migration Motive Matter for Migrants' Employment Outcomes? The Case of Belgium," IZA Discussion Papers 11906, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. Lens Dries & Marx Ive & Vujić Sunčica, 2019. "Double Jeopardy: How Refugees Fare in One European Labor Market," IZA Journal of Development and Migration, Sciendo & Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 10(1), pages 1-29, June.
    12. Julia Bock-Schappelwein & Peter Huber, 2016. "Zur Arbeitsmarktintegration von Asylsuchenden in Österreich," WIFO Monatsberichte (monthly reports), WIFO, vol. 89(3), pages 157-169, March.
    13. Eymen Ekmen & Orhan Koçak & Umut Solmaz & Koray Kopuz & Mustafa Z. Younis & Deniz Orman, 2021. "How Does the Social Support Affect Refugees’ Life Satisfaction in Turkey? Stress as a Mediator, Social Aids and Coronavirus Anxiety as Moderators," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-16, November.
    14. Pieter Bevelander, 2020. "Integrating refugees into labor markets," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 269-269, September.
    15. Fernando Mata & Ravi Pendakur, 2017. "Of Intake and Outcomes: Wage Trajectories of Immigrant Classes in Canada," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 829-844, August.
    16. Bevelander, Pieter & Pendakur, Ravi, 2012. "The Labour Market Integration of Refugee and Family Reunion Immigrants: A Comparison of Outcomes in Canada and Sweden," IZA Discussion Papers 6924, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    17. Dries Lens & Ive Marx & Sunčica Vujić, 2017. "Integrating (former) asylum seekers into the Belgian labour market. What can we learn from the recent past?," Working Papers 1710, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.
    18. DeVoretz, Don J., 2006. "A History of Canadian Recruitment of Highly Skilled Immigrants: Circa 1980-2001," IZA Discussion Papers 2197, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    19. Mike Danson & Birgit Jentsch, 2012. "International migration and economic participation in small towns and rural areas — cross-national evidence," Migration Letters, Migration Letters, vol. 9(3), pages 215-224, September.
    20. Ferrie, Joseph & Hatton, Timothy J., 2013. "Two Centuries of International Migration," IZA Discussion Papers 7866, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    21. M. Reza Nakhaie, 2018. "Service Needs of Immigrants and Refugees," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 143-160, February.
    22. Ilić, Dragan, 2018. "Prejudice in naturalization decisions: Theory and evidence," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 1-18.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    human capital; immigrant earnings; refugees;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers

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