Immigrants Make Alberta Strong and Free
Like all Canadians, Albertans share core values of hard work, a love of freedom and peaceful coexistence. The opportunities that Alberta provides to get ahead through work, to be free to live life in whatever way we choose, and to be at peace regardless of who we are, where we come from or how we look is what has drawn people here for generations - from across the country and around the world. Indeed, this has been the very foundation of Alberta’s success.
In addition to these core values of work, freedom and peace, Albertans share other important values along with all Canadians and those who choose to make Alberta their home. As Canadians and Albertans, we also value the richness of diversity that brings vibrancy to our communities. We prize respect for others, their cultures and traditions, knowing that this is the foundation of freedom and peaceful coexistence. We are also known for our compassion, with a strong tradition of welcoming and supporting those who face hardships, or who have been forced to flee hardships. Having faced adversity ourselves, we empathetically lend our hand to others, confident that they too will lend their hands to us in turn when we might be in need.
Finally, we are staunch defenders of human rights. We believe that people have a right to live freely and express their thoughts, values, and cultures without fear. As equal members of our society, we also believe that everyone has equal rights to the fruits of that society – meaningful jobs that allow people to support themselves and their families, as well as public services such as health care and education that ensure everyone has a high quality of life. And when times are tough, we believe that everyone has the right to the supports they need to get back on their feet, or to avoid destitution. These are the values that make us distinctly Canadian, and that make Alberta an important member of the Canadian family.
Canada is a country of immigrants. And within Canada, Alberta even more so. Immigrants have been drawn to Canada and Alberta precisely because of these values. Like all Canadians and Albertans, immigrants share a deep commitment to the values of hard work, freedom and peaceful co-existence. And our success as a country and province rests on the way we have upheld these values over generations as successive waves of immigration have made Alberta home.
Yet, recently, the value of immigration and the contributions of immigrants are being questioned. Misperceptions abound leading some people to feel that immigration is a problem rather than the source of our strength. Some of these misperceptions include:
Immigration is driving up inflation. Following the pandemic, inflation surged around the world due to a combination of factors, most importantly, the disruption of global supply chains. Immigration, however, was not a significant contributor to that surge. According to the Bank of Canada, at its peak, immigration contributed less than 0.1 percentage point to Canada’s annual inflation rate. Like all Canadians, immigrants have struggled to keep up with the cost of living.
Immigrants are a drag on the economy. Rather than being a drag on the economy, immigration is a profound contributor to economic growth. The International Organization on Migration notes that immigrants contribute to the economy by reducing labour shortages, stimulating local economies by spending their earnings, and by paying taxes. It is also true that immigrants provide important business and social connections to other countries, connections that we will need as we seek to diversity our trading relationships in the face of U.S. tariffs. Global Affairs Canada also highlights the importance of international students to Canada’s economy, noting that they contributed $30.9 billion to Canada’s economy in 2022, accounting for 1.2% of Canada’s GDP, and supporting 361,230 jobs. Finally, immigrants also help businesses do better. The CD Howe Institute reports that “organizations with more ethnic and cultural diversity are 36 per cent more likely to outperform their competitors in profitability.” Without immigration, Canada’s workforce would be smaller, spending in our local economies would be weaker and tax revenues would be less.
Immigrants are driving up housing costs. Affordable housing is a challenge for everyone, including immigrants. The challenge of housing affordability, however, began long before the recent increase in immigration levels. We can trace the beginning of the affordable housing crisis back to 1996 when the federal government walked away from its responsibilities and commitment to providing social housing. The ensuing under-funding of affordable housing by successive federal and provincial governments has exacerbated the problem.
Since then, the trend to treat housing as an investment rather than as a place to live has resulted in investors driving up the cost of housing, not immigrants. According to Pedro Artunes, Chief Economist at the Conference Board of Canada, “The real driver of the housing price surge was not immigration, but the massive influx of capital during the pandemic. People saved money, borrowed at low rates, and poured it into real estate.”
Rather than being a drain on the housing sector, immigrants actually contribute to housing supply through their employment in the construction sector. At the same time, they often struggle more with housing costs than other Canadians and are more likely to be in core housing need. According to Statistics Canada. 11.1% of immigrants were experiencing core housing need in 2022 compared to 9.1% for the rest of the population. Rather than being the source of the affordable housing crisis, immigrants are the victims of it and allies with other Canadians who struggle for change and are seeking solutions.
Immigrants are driving up unemployment. There are many reasons for unemployment in Canada. Automation and the shift from a manufacturing to a service economy has left many people struggling to find well-paying jobs, especially youth. Changes in the global economy have also impacted Canadian workers as the demand for our goods and services fluctuates, with certain sectors and industries being disproportionately impacted.
These are forces that affect all Canadians, but often immigrants more so. According to Statistics Canada, the unemployment rate for recent immigrants in Alberta is 13.1%, almost double the rate of 7.1% for the total labour force. Practices such as the fact that we don’t accept the qualifications of internationally trained professionals leaves many unemployed or working in jobs far below their level of training and experience.
Despite these challenges, immigrants are more likely to be in the labour force than other Canadians. As of August 2025, roughly 80% of recent immigrants to Alberta were in the labour force, compared to just 66% of the total population. Clearly immigrants are ready to work hard and eager to contribute to Alberta’s economy.
Rather than a cause of unemployment, immigrants are the future source of labour that will keep the economy running. As Canada’s workforce ages, we will need these new Canadians to replenish the labour force and provide the goods and services we all will need. According to the Bank of Canada “Without the increased contribution from newcomers, the aging of the population would have meant a decline in labour supply in Canada”. According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, without continued immigration, Calgary will experience a 35% decrease in the size of its workforce by 2031, and a 29% decrease in the number of jobs in the city.
Immigrants are a drain on Alberta’s public services. All Canadians expect and deserve access to high quality public services such as health care, education and other social supports. Rather than being a drain on Alberta’s public services, immigration plays an important role in strengthening and sustaining them. This is due, first, to the fact that immigrants pay taxes, the taxes that support those services. Given that most immigrants are working, their income tax contributions are significant. They also contribute to the tax base through their spending that generates sales tax revenue. Global Affairs Canada reports that international students alone contributed $7.4 billion in tax revenue in 2022 through annual direct and indirect spending.
Secondly, immigrants contribute more to public services than what they use overall. According to the Canadian Council for Refugees, the cost of healthcare for a refugee, for example, is roughly 10% less than other Canadians due to the fact that they are younger and healthier and so require fewer healthcare services. The same is true for other immigrants. According to Statistics Canada, 63% of recent immigrants in the Prairies reported their health to be “excellent or very good”, compared to just 52% of the rest of the population. Similarly, 62% reported that their mental health was “excellent or very good”, compared to just 58.5% of the rest of the population. This is sometimes called the “healthy immigrant effect.”
The fact that immigrants are generally younger and healthier is important as Alberta’s population continues to age. Citizenship and Immigration Canada estimates that without immigration, Calgary will experience a 4.1% decrease in the proportion of working age adults by 2031 that will limit the availability and quality of local services. This would be exacerbated by a 42% increase in the city’s seniors population “potentially changing the demand for local services, including health care and long-term care.”
Finally, immigrants will be an important contributor to the supply of workers necessary to deliver those public services. Internationally trained healthcare workers, home care aids, teachers and social service workers will be necessary to replenish the labour force as the workforce ages and people in those occupations retire. Clearly, not only are immigrants not a drain on Alberta’s public services, they are in fact a vital contributor to them.
Immigrants are driving up crime and disorder. Like all Albertans, immigrants place a high value on peace and safety. Indeed, many have left situations of conflict and have chosen Canada and Alberta as a safe place of refuge. While crime is an unfortunate reality among all groups of people, there is no evidence to suggest that it is higher among immigrants than the rest of the population. In fact, a recent study by the University of Toronto found not only is there no significant relationship between crime and immigration, the reverse may be true, with crime rates falling as immigration increases. One possible reason for this according to the study is the fact that “immigrants may bring in pro-social values, foster new forms of social control, and stimulate urban renewal and revitalization”. This is supported by another study by the Canadian Research Centre Data Network which found that immigration is associated with a 2-3% decrease in the property crime rate. The study suggests that “immigration has a spillover effect, such as changing neighbourhood characteristics, which reduces crime rates in the long run.”
Immigrants just don’t “fit in”. Canada has always prided itself on being a cultural mosaic, where the various cultures, religions and identities that make up Canada are celebrated. This too has been the strength of Alberta where people from diverse parts of the world with a variety of languages and cultural backgrounds have enriched our cultural fabric and made our society the dynamic place that it is. Yet, that celebration of culture and diversity does not come at the expense of a sense of belonging and willingness to be a part of and contribute to Canadian society by newcomers.
Statistics Canada reports that the vast majority (88%) of visible minority immigrants feel a strong connection to Canada, while 81% feel a strong connection to their province and local community. The International Organization on Migration also reports that about one-third of immigrants in Canada have volunteered, and two-thirds are part of social organizations. They go on to state: “And the more involved they are with their new home, the more they want to give: According to Statistics Canada, ‘the immigrants and their descendants who are integrated into a local personal network and participate in community activities, such as religious practices, are more likely to have a higher number of acquaintances with neighbourhood residents, to trust their neighbours and to volunteer.’” Clearly, immigrants make important contributions to Alberta’s communities and civil society and are eager to be active participants in the social life of the community.
“Strong and free” is the phrase on Alberta’s coat of arms. Alberta is both strong and free when immigrants are welcomed, celebrated and included in all aspects of life in the province. This has been our strength throughout our history and will be our strength as we move forward and think about what’s next for Alberta in a shifting and uncertain global environment.