Are refugees more likely to leave initial destinations than economic immigrants? Recent evidence from Canadian longitudinal administrative data

Abstract

Secondary migration is of policy interest in many immigrant receiving countries when efforts are made to steer immigrants away from major urban centers. One example is refugee dispersal policy. While previous research, mostly evaluating the policy itself, argues it would disproportionately increase the secondary migration of refugees settled in non-gateway cities, quantitative analysis is limited. This study compares the long-term secondary migration in Canada by immigrant admission category with a focus on the city size of initial settlement. Our analysis of the Longitudinal Immigration Database finds although resettled refugees have a higher overall secondary migration rate than economic immigrants, their difference in the likelihood of leaving a same-size initial destination city is minor. The majority stay in the initial city of residence regardless of admission category. The findings have a strong policy implication; the geographic distribution of immigrants can be influenced most effectively at arrival.