Since the beginning of the 2000s, the number of newcomers in the Atlantic provinces of Canada has grown from 3 thousand to over 14 thousand. However, to maintain economic growth, this region needs to increase the annual influx of foreigners to 20 thousand.
From 2011 to 2016, the Atlantic provinces of Canada showed the weakest population growth in the country. This was partly due to the low level of immigration in the region.
Positive population dynamics are important for maintaining economic growth and a high standard of living. Therefore, the four Atlantic provinces — Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick — are working to attract and retain more immigrants.
The population of the Atlantic provinces accounts for only 6.5% of the total Canadian population. The region seeks to attract a proportionate share of immigrants. In the early 2000s, only 1% of foreigners arrived in the Atlantic provinces. But in 2019, this region is close to increasing its share of immigrants to 5%. While 3 thousand foreigners arrived annually in Atlantic Canada 20 years ago, their current number has grown to more than 14 thousand, representing almost a fivefold increase.
Current trends indicate that by the 2020s, the Atlantic provinces will be able to welcome immigrants proportionately with the share of their population.
The region attracts foreigners through Provincial Nomination Programs (PNPs), which began functioning in the late 1990s and early 2000s, as well as through the Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP), which was launched in 2017.
Nova Scotia welcomed the most immigrants among the Atlantic provinces in 2018 — 5,965 people. In the first months of 2019, almost 1 thousand people immigrated there, and their number is expected to reach at least 6 thousand in 2019.
New Brunswick attracted 4,610 immigrants in 2018. It is expected that their number will reach 5 thousand this year.
Prince Edward Island welcomed 2,135 immigrants in 2018. This smallest Canadian province has the largest number of newcomers per capita.
Newfoundland and Labrador attracted the least immigrants among the Atlantic provinces in 2018 — 1,530 people.
In total, 14,240 immigrants arrived in the Atlantic provinces in 2018. But in order to fully satisfy the needs of the labour market, the region needs to attract at least 20 thousand people a year. Moreover, not all newcomers remain there. Therefore, it is also important to be able not only to attract but also to retain new arrivals. The latest figures show that fewer immigrants leave Atlantic Canada for other provinces.