Immigration to Canada from Afghanistan spiked in 2022, but India and China retained their top spots as the most important sources of new permanent residents.
India provided 118,095 new permanent residents to Canada last year, more than a quarter of the total 437,120 new permanent residents for 2022, reveals the latest data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
But the number of new permanent residents to Canada from India was 7.7 per cent, or 9,845 people, less last year than the 127,940 Indians who made Canada their home in 2021.Â
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In the number two spot of the most important sources of new permanent residents to Canada, China upped its game last year by providing 31,815 immigrants to Canada, up 2.6 per cent, or 805 people, from the 31,010 Chinese who immigrated to the country in 2021.
Top 10 Sources of New Permanent Residents To Canada in 2022
| Ranking | Country | New Permanent Residents to Canada in 2022 |
| 1 | India | 118,095 |
| 2 | China | 31,815 |
| 3 | Afghanistan | 23,735 |
| 4 | Nigeria | 15,595 |
| 5 | Philippines | 22,070 |
| 6 | France | 14,145 |
| 7 | Pakistan | 11,585 |
| 8 | Iran | 11,105 |
| 9 | United States | 10,400 |
| 10 | Syria | 8,500 |
Those relatively small fluctuations in immigration from India and China, though, pale in comparison to the 177 per cent spike in new permanent residents to Canada from Afghanistan last year. In 2022, Canada welcomed 23,735 Afghanis as immigrants, up 15,165 people from the 8,570 in 2021.Â
The meteoric rise in immigration from Afghanistan is all the more startling when last year’s performance is compared to the immigration level prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2019.
In those three years, immigration from Afghanistan to Canada has soared by 508.6 per cent.Â
Also showing a large percentage growth in immigration to Canada is Nigeria. Last year, that country was the fourth most important source of new permanent residents to Canada with 22,085 Nigerians making the move.Â
That was up 41.6 per cent over the 15,595 Nigerians who became new permanent residents of Canada in 2021 and up 75.3 per cent over the 12,600 Nigerians who immigrated to Canada in 2019.
The Philippines was the fifth most important source of new permanent residents to Canada last year with 22,070 new arrivals, up 22.5 per cent from the level of immigration from that country in 2021.
Growing Number Of French Citizens Immigrated To Canada Last Year
France, which shares a historic, traditional link with Canada and particularly Quebec, came in sixth on the list of most important sources of new permanent residents with 14,145 French nationals immigrating to Canada last year. That was up 11.5 per cent over the 12,690 who came to Canada in 2021 and up 185.2 per cent over the pre-pandemic level of immigration from France in 2019.
Pakistan’s contribution of 11,585 new permanent residents to Canada last year was 36.6 per cent over the 8,480 Pakistani newcomers to Canada the previous year. That country is the seventh most important source of new permanent residents to Canada.
The 11,105 Iranians to immigrate to Canada last year put Iran in the eighth spot on the list even as immigration from that country softened by 1.7 per cent in 2022 over the previous year.
Canada’s biggest trading partner and neighbour, the United States, provided 10,400 new permanent residents last year, or 13 per cent less than the 11,955 in 2021 to take the ninth spot.
That decline in the number of Americans moving to Canada as permanent residents last year was more than made up by a 52.1 per cent jump in the number of Syrians becoming new permanent residents of Canada last year.
Syria, which came in tenth on the list of most important sources of immigration to Canada, provided 8,500 new permanent residents last year, up from 5,590 in 2021, but still far below the historic high of 35,000 Syrians moving to Canada set in 2016.
The top 10 sources of immigration to Canada alone represent 267,045 new permanent residents to the country, or almost 61.1 per cent of the total immigration to Canada last year.
Ottawa is hoping to bring in 1.45 million immigrants within three years.
In its 2023-2025 Immigration Levels Plan, Ottawa has set the target for 2023 at 465,000 new permanent residents. The country is to welcome 485,000 new permanent residents in 2024 and another 500,000 in 2025.