According to a newly released report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), immigration flows to OECD countries—including Canada—experienced a record-breaking decline in 2020, marking the steepest drop on record. Maple News reports that this unprecedented dip is directly attributed to global shutdowns and travel restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The OECD’s annual report on international migration, published on October 28, reveals that just 3.7 million new immigrants entered 25 OECD member countries in 2020—a figure not seen since 2003. This represented a dramatic reduction of over 30 percent when compared to 2019 levels. However, the report notes the actual decline may be even higher, possibly exceeding 40 percent, due to complexities in tracking changes in migrant status and administrative overlap.
Every category of permanent and temporary migration experienced downturns. Family-based immigration saw one of the most notable decreases with a 35 percent drop. Temporary labor migration also plummeted, with countries like Canada, the United States, and Australia seeing a 37 percent reduction. Korea and Japan were hit harder, reporting declines of 57 percent and 65 percent, respectively.
In the temporary worker category, holiday workers fell by 58 percent while intra-company transferees dropped by 53 percent. Agricultural seasonal workers were the least affected subgroup, down only 9 percent during the same period.
Study permits also took a major hit. Canada and the United States both witnessed a 70 percent drop in issued student visas. Across OECD countries in the European Union, the average decline in study permits was around 40 percent.
New asylum applications decreased by 31 percent, and refugee resettlements were down by a staggering 65 percent. The setback has potentially reversed much of the integration progress made over the last decade, the OECD cautioned.
Maple News notes that, while these numbers reflect the dramatic effects of a global crisis, they also underscore the importance of building more agile and resilient immigration systems to better weather future disruptions.