Canada is seeing a sharp increase in Irish newcomers as economic woes spark mass emigration out of the country, while more people worldwide are seeing the Canadian economy display signs of recovery.
“Worldwide, [Canada] is looking like the superstar of how to manage your economy,” said executive director of the Ireland Canada Chamber of Commerce. “So you have all these young, educated, highly skilled people in Ireland who are suddenly in a situation where there are very few jobs. They’re looking around and they see how Canada has come through the recession and they see more opportunity here.”
Internationally, Irish migrants have been more likely to choose other destinations than Canada for resettlement, such as the U.S., Australia and the U.K. In recent years, however, there has been a rising number who choose to relocate to Canada.
Last year, there were twice as many Irish workers entering Canada as in 2004. The Irish and Canadian governments even had to raise their targets on working holiday visas, due to high demand.
Though the arrival of many skilled young workers wills most likely benefit Canada, officials in Ireland are concerned over the emigration trends.
“I would not like to think that the only prospect they will have is emigration,” said Sean Heading an official from Ireland’s Technical Engineering and Electrical Union, when asked about bleak economic forecasts for the country. “We don’t want to be exporting all our young people.”
Source: National Post