A new report published by Statistics Canada shows that in 2022, 20% of recent immigrants in Canada struggled with severe poverty.
The report, according to The Canadian Press, defined "deep poverty" as having an income below 75% of what is needed for basic living expenses, and noted that poverty is widespread among immigrants, people with disabilities, single-parent families, and individuals living alone.
"This confirms what front-line organizations have been witnessing for years," said Janet Madume, executive director of the Welland Heritage Council and Multicultural Centre in Ontario.
"Poverty among immigrants is not a personal failure, it’s a systemic failure," Madume added.
The highest poverty rates among provinces were found in Nova Scotia (12.5%), British Columbia (12.2%), and Manitoba (11.9%). Manitoba also had the highest rate of deep poverty, at 6.9%.
Emphasizing that many immigrants face additional barriers such as systemic racism and difficulties getting foreign credentials recognized, Madume said: "We need to start acting, and we are urging every level of government to act urgently."
Josh Smee, chief executive of Food First Newfoundland and Labrador, said in the report that single working-age adults are often left out of government poverty-alleviation programs.
"There’s a real challenge in addressing the same issues with single folks... because you risk that ‘They should just get a job’ pushback, which obviously oversimplifies the situation," he said.
