The Health of Economic Immigrants in Canada: Beyond A Public Health Agenda?

Diminished possession of and access to resources reflects emergent and shifting forms of social stratification sustained by global capitalism that imbue immigrant populations and shape disparate trajectories that impact health and well-being. Economic immigrants who re-settle permanently in another country in pursuit of better life circumstances are generally regarded as better educated, as better prepared, and as bearing more skills needed by their new country than refugees, family-class immigrants, or migrant workers; but what of their health and well-being?

In this presentation, I draw from 48 interviews with economic immigrants residing in the Canadian province of Ontario. Currently, over one-third of economic immigrants to Canada report a decline in socio-economic status, citing the lack of recognition of foreign credentials and of work experience as prominent reasons for their exclusion from suitable employment.¹ The devaluation of skills and work experience gained outside Canada launches newcomers on a downward spiral characterized by underemployment and poor wages. Indeed, 65% of immigrants fall into low income within their first decade in Canada regardless of educational attainment.² Movement towards poverty, with its attendant impacts on health and well-being, also leads to a growing disparity between expectations, ambitions, hopes, dreams — and lived reality that can further contribute to worsening health outcomes.¹ Moreover, population-based data has shown social determinants have a greater influence the health and well-being of migrants than biogenetic factors³; however, health services remain focused on health behaviours and communicable diseases. While these issues must remain a part of the health agenda, greater attention needs to be paid to social determinants of health and the impact of deep disappointment and downward mobility on the health of this particular group of immigrants.

1 Schellenberg and Maheux 2007            

2 Picot, Hou, and Coulombe 2007

3 Dunn and Dyck 2000