Global migration and cities of the future

Abstract

The number of lifetime international migrants worldwide has increased greatly in recent decades. Canada currently ranks as the fourth-largest immigrant-receiving country, with 8 million foreign-born residents in 2015. Most international migrants reside primarily in the large metropolises, with more than 60 per cent of Canada's foreign-born living in the Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal urban conurbations. This paper examines four challenges of global migration for Canada's cities: housing and housing affordability, social services, employment, and integration and cohesion. The paper's conclusion discusses implications for expanding our knowledge base about global migration and cities of the future.