The end of the Canadian dream?

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If you are thinking of migrating to Canada, you may have learned about the good quality of life it offers, but how about learning about some of the downsides as well?

In this article, we invite you to learn about Immiland's analysis of the reasons that, despite the benefits offered by the country, determine the decision to move. Here are some of them:

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1. Unemployment rate

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According to data from Statistics Canada, as well as more recent projections and analysis made by several companies such as Stalista, Datosmacro.com, the unemployment rate in Canada has been increasing to date, in fact, for the month of July 2023, Datosmacro recorded an increase of 0.5%, placing the current unemployment rate at 5.5%, and according to Stalista, the projection for 2027 is 6%, this generates an impact on the motivation of those unemployed citizens who are unable to sustain the expected quality of life in Canada and end up rethinking a move to another country in search of job opportunities. 

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Which Canadian provinces have the highest unemployment?

According to a Radio-Canada publication, the Canadian province with the highest unemployment rate in October 2021 was Newfoundland and Labrador, where the economic indicator stood at 13.9%, followed by Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, both with 9.1%. Canada's Atlantic provinces tend to have the highest unemployment rate.

Undoubtedly, all these data reflect the behavior of a part of Canada's labor dynamics and it is very important to take them into account before making your immigration plan.

Next, the country's second leading cause of removal.

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2. Taxes

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In Canada, everyone pays taxes, whether they are Canadian citizens, residents or non-residents. The application of the taxable tax rate in Canada is managed under the principle: "the higher the income, the higher the tax payable". In addition, Canada has two tax rates, one provincial and one federal. The Canadian government sets the federal income tax rates for individuals. Each province and territory determines its own income tax rates and the provincial or territorial income tax rates apply in addition to the federal income tax rates.

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How are taxes reflected, for example, in the province of Quebec?

To give you an idea, in the province of Quebec, a high salary can imply a payment of up to 51% tax. In addition, taxes are reflected in restaurants at 15%, this is for the two types of taxes mentioned above, provincial and federal. 

Learn more about federal, provincial and territorial taxes 2023.

Now, it is important to emphasize that the payment of taxes is reflected throughout the country in security, free education for children, public medical services, among others. The latter leads to the next reason for wanting to leave Canada.

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3. Health

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The high taxes that are paid also have an impact on a free health system, but unfortunately in crisis because in Canada there are not enough health workers, which is reflected in the news about the increase of deaths of patients waiting in an emergency room or children dying of flu every year in several provinces of the country. It is a healthcare system that faces this problem on a national level, so much so that the government has increased the salary of physicians to promote family medicine care, which in the end ends up being more of a palliative type. Here are some other aspects that reflect the decadence of the medical system in this country:

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• Not all children have access to a pediatrician.
• It is a family physician (not a pediatrician) who evaluates children.
• There are no private clinics.
• Private insurance does not give any privileges over other Canadians.
• Waiting times to see a specialist can be up to 6 months.

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In fact, at Immiland Canada, we recommend that you continue to pay for your medical coverage in your home country and, should you have any health problems, return to your home country so that you can take care of your situation.

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4. Beggars and drugs

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Life in Canada is not all rosy, in fact, there is an unfortunate situation of begging on the streets that leads to food and sanitation insecurity for homeless individuals and families, with the consequent social insecurity for the rest of the population that transits the cities on a daily basis. Official Canadian statistical data show an increase for the second consecutive year in 2022 of police-reported non-violent crime in Canada, for a Crime Severity Index (CSI) of 4%, and an increase in the CSI for violent crime of 5% for the same year.

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In which Canadian cities have you seen an increase in non-violent crime?

According to Canada's official data report, the areas that have seen an increase in break-ins, burglaries and thefts are in Gatineau (+20%), Winnipeg (+20%), St. John's (+19%), Toronto (+14%) and Ottawa (+10%).

More information on this aspect can be found on the official website of the Information Center reported by the police.

Regarding drugs, Canada registers record figures in non-medical consumption of fentanyl, in fact, the BBC News World portal published data from 2023 on an experiment of legalization of some hard toxic substances such as methamphetamine, fentanyl and morphine to control the serious crisis that the country has been going through since 2016 regarding narcotics consumption. This is a pilot program implemented in British Columbia with three-year outcome measurement, the idea is to minimize the criminalization of this act and bring more government support to those who use drugs and require help to save their lives. 

Even so, the sale of drugs remains illegal, as is the possession of drugs on school grounds, daycare centers and airports. 

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5. Unaffordable real estate system

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Housing in Canada is very expensive, which makes the stability of a roof over the family's head unaffordable for many Canadians or permanent residents, which is why in June 2022, parliament passed the measure to ban non-resident foreigners from buying homes in order to control prices and make the housing market fairer.

To give you an idea of housing prices in Canada, more than a year ago, the average price of a home in Canada was C$777,200 (US$568,000), a figure 11 times higher than the average household income. 

For rent, you must have certain documents to prove your ability to pay on time, for example, the landlord may ask for a letter of employment with salary details, a credit report, references from previous landlords, bank statements and copies of your ID. 

A permanent or temporary resident alien or even a Canadian citizen who does not meet these requirements will have a very difficult way to have a secure roof over his or her head in this country. That is why we always recommend to check your economic and documentation conditions to live in Canada. 

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6. Racism and religion

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Religious background in cases of cruelty and abuse of indigenous peoples over the years. Sadly, several news stories in the last two years have made headlines around the world and caused outrage as it became known that the Catholic Church has been behind the atrocious living conditions of indigenous children in Canadian boarding schools.

In this web page, you can find data about the discovery of hidden graves of more than 200 indigenous children in 2021, click to read this news.

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7. Climate

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High temperatures below 0° during the winter. Although the country has all four seasons and each one is well marked by the pleasantness of its natural features, winter in Canada is very harsh. The country is prepared for these conditions, but not necessarily for those who decide to emigrate without a well thought out plan, for example, without enough money to afford a good place to live or to buy enough winter clothing. Not being able to cope with Canada's four-month winter may be reason enough to want to move to a warmer region.

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8. Illegal status

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The impossibility to process immigration documents. Some people decide to leave Canada because they are unable to obtain permanent residency, either for personal reasons of health, money, etc., or because they did not understand the immigration law before arriving in the country, then, whether they want to or not, they end up violating the law which forces them to seek solutions in other territories rather than pay serious consequences such as deportation to their country of origin or arrest by an IRCC officer, the prohibition to enter the country for five years, the loss of time, money and their dreams of changing their lifestyle.

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9. Loneliness

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Mood affectation due to loneliness. Many migrants arrive alone to Canada, without their parents, siblings, partners and friends, so once they enter the country, they have to start their lives practically from scratch; they must adapt to a different culture, with different customs and traditions and, particularly, Latinos tend to be affectionate even if we do not know each other, so these conditions in the new country over time can end up affecting the mental health of those who tend to feel melancholy for their loved ones or feel frustration for not being able to meet the social expectations they had before arriving in Canada.

According to statistical data from the polling company Ipsos, Canada is among the top five countries where the proportion of people who feel lonely is on the rise. Even in 2019, Radio Canada International published a note where it mentions that the number of people living alone in Canada has doubled in the last 35 years; and it is not only the elderly, young people are also experiencing epidemic levels of loneliness, which leads them to want to move to regions more in line with the lifestyle of their countries of origin.

So far we have mentioned the reasons why a person would want to leave Canada, we hope that with this article you will be able to establish your own criteria on the valuation that you now make of this country as your new temporary or permanent migratory destination. Remember that in order to make the decision to migrate, it is very important to know the resources available to you, so that you do not fail in any way on your way. Immiland Canada is here to guide and support you in everything related to living, studying and/or working in Canada.

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If you would like to learn more about the general aspects of the Canadian lifestyle, we invite you to subscribe to our YouTube channel @Immiland, and turn on notifications.

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With love,

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Immiland

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