demographics
INTERNATIONAL MIGRANTS TO BC: FEWER FOR NOW
The Great Suppression has dented the impact of international migrants on BC’s demography in the short-run.
The biggest driver to population growth in British Columbia is net international migration, consisting of immigrants, emigrants, and non-permanent residents (which includes those in Canada as part of the International Mobility Program, as Temporary ForeignWorkers, or as students with study permits). In the first six months of 2019, the province welcomed 22,530 immigrants and 74,015 non-permanent residents. Fast forward one year, and through the first six months of 2020 immigration to BC was down by 24% (to 17,205) and the number of new non-permanent residents declined by 25% (to 55,165).
Of course, three of the six months for which we have data on international migration to the province in 2020 were during the Great Suppression; in these months (April, May, and June), immigration was down 55% and the inf low of non-permanent residents was down 30% compared to the same months in 2019. Individuals coming to BC from other countries play a vital role in shaping our labour force and populating our post- secondary educational institutions. It is therefore imperative that we find a way to continue to attract these migrants to British Columbia as we progress through our current downturn.
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