New Delhi: Gujarati has emerged as the third most-spoken language among Indian immigrants in Canada after Punjabi and Hindi. According to data from Statistics Canada, there are around 90,000 Gujarati-speaking immigrants in Canada, with a notable 26% of them arriving in the country between 2016 and 2021.
During this latter period, Punjabi-speaking people constituted the largest linguistic group at 75,475, followed by Hindi speakers at 35,170. Gujarati ranked third with 22,935 immigrants followed by Malayalam (15,440) and Bengali speakers (13,835) respectively.
Around 87,900 Gujarati-speaking immigrants have settled in Canada since 1980, according to data from Statistics Canada. The migration trend among Gujaratis surged after 2011 as Canada became a favoured alternative to US and other English-speaking countries.
The data also revealed that Gujarati immigrants experienced the second-highest decadal growth among major linguistic groups, reporting a 26% increase between 2011 and 2021. Punjabi speakers followed next with a 22% rise. The highest growth awas reported among Hindi speakers – a staggering 114% – during the same period. Kutchi — another language from Gujarat — reported a decrease in migration from 460 speakers between 2001 and 2010 to 370 from 2011 to 2021.
"US was a hot favourite for decades, but people struggled with visa processing and high costs. With UK, Australia, and New Zealand also introducing restrictions, Canada's easier permanent residency process and lower educational costs made it an attractive option for students," TOI reported an immigration consultant as saying.
However, recent changes to immigration policies and other local issues like increased housing challenges, job market saturation, and stricter permanent residency requirements have raised concern within the community. According to a report, visa applications for Canada has witnessed an alarming 80% drop from Gujarat.
"With fewer visa opportunities, enquiries from students and professionals have dramatically declined, with most applications now coming from those who already hold Canadian PR seeking to bring over family members," the consultant said, according to TOI.
Canada Announces 21% Cut In Immigration Targets By 2025
Canada has announced a significant reduction in immigration numbers, marking a shift in policy by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government. The move is aimed to slow population growth so that the economy and public services can catch up.
Trudeau announced the revised strategy on social media on October 24, announcing that the goal of 500,000 permanent residents by 2025 will be lowered to 395,000 – a 21% reduction from current numbers. Trudeau stressed that the cuts are just temporary and will last for the next two years. In response to the difficulties brought on by post-pandemic immigration surges, he stated, "We didn’t get the balance quite right," By 2027, the updated goal of 365,000 additional permanent residents will continue to decline. The restrictions come after cuts for temporary foreign workers and international students were already announced.