Thousands of immigrants living in Canada have left the country in the last two and a half years amid rising and unaffordable cost of living.

In the initial half of 2023, around 42,000 individuals left Canada, contributing to the 93,818 departures in 2022 and 85,927 in 2021, as per official data.

Many immigrants in Canada, drawn by dreams of success, now find themselves grappling with survival amidst soaring living costs and a scarcity of rental properties. This struggle hints at a troubling trend as growing numbers of newcomers consider abandoning the country they once chose as their new home.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has strategically used immigration to address Canada’s significant challenge of an aging population and slowing growth.

This approach has not only fueled economic advancement but also led to the country experiencing its most rapid population increase in over sixty years, according to Statistics Canada.

Recent findings from the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC), an immigration advocacy group, revealed that the rate of immigrants departing Canada hit a twenty-year peak in 2019. While these numbers dipped during pandemic-related lockdowns, Statistics Canada data indicates a resurgence in emigration.

Though the number of departures remains a fraction compared to the 263,000 arrivals during the same period, the consistent rise in emigration raises concerns among observers.

The growing trend of people leaving Canada poses a risk to one of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government’s key policies: granting permanent residency to a record 2.5 million individuals in just eight years. This shift contradicts the foundational principle of a nation built on immigrants.

In discussions with Reuters, several individuals who have either departed or are in the process of leaving Canada cited the exorbitant cost of living as their primary reason.