News Briefs – Most Immigrants Settled in Cities in Past Decade

CIC News
Published: August 1, 2004

Nearly all the immigrants who came to Canada in the 1990s settled in the country's largest cities, a report says – a large jump over the number who settled in urban centres in the previous decade.

About 1.8 million people settled in Canada's 27 metropolitan areas in the 1990s, Statistics Canada said Wednesday.

Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal got the bulk of the immigrants – about 73 per cent of whom made their homes in those three cities.

Comparatively, in 1981, only 58 per cent of immigrants settled in those cities.

Number of Refugee Claims Decrease

Increased security measures in Canada and the United States in the wake of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, have resulted in a dramatic decrease in the number of refugee claimants in Canada, advocates and lawyers say.

In the first six months of this year, Canada received 12,207 claims, the lowest number in a decade. This represents a 30-per-cent decline from the first six months of 2003 and a 45-per-cent drop from 2002.

More stringent visa requirements and increased interdiction overseas mean it is now more difficult for asylum seekers to travel to North America, according to lawyers. The United States -- the first destination of many refugee claimants -- has introduced stricter visa requirements for many countries, while Canada has doubled the number of interdiction officers overseas.

Share this article
Share your voice
Did you find this article helpful?
Thank you for your feedback.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Did you find this article helpful?
Please provide a response
Thank you for your helpful feedback
Please contact us if you would like to share additional feedback, have a question, or would like Canadian immigration assistance.
  • Do you need Canadian immigration assistance? Contact the Contact Cohen Immigration Law firm by completing our form
  • Send us your feedback or your non-legal assistance questions by emailing us at media@canadavisa.com
Top Stories
Nigerian students critical to ongoing success of Canada’s international education sector
Canada extending international student off-campus work hours policy until April 2024
If I gain Canadian permanent residence, do I have to become a citizen?
Join our free newsletter. Get Canada's top immigration stories delivered to your inbox.
Subscribe
More in Citizenship
If I gain Canadian permanent residence, do I have to become a citizen?
A man stands on a viewing deck at Banff national park in Alberta.
What are the benefits of a Canadian passport?
A man holds his passport up at the airport as he travels through customs. Canada has one of the most recognised passports from any country around the world.
My parent is a Canadian citizen, but I was born outside Canada. Am I eligible for proof of citizenship?
The Canadian Flag flies in full in front of the Parliament of Canada, the Peace Tower is seen in the background on a cloudy day in Ottawa.
Am I eligible to become an Overseas Citizen of India?
The Bandra Worli Sea Link is seen passing over the Mahim Bay, with the city around it. Dadar, Prabhadevi, Lower Parel, Worli, Matunga, Mahim and Bandra can be seen.
Link copied to clipboard