Common Canadian Immigration Myths: Refugees in Canada

Untrue myths about refugees in Canada

We’ve been looking at the number of untrue myths about Canadian immigration and immigrants lately. You can find our previous entries on the subject here, here and here.

Immigration in Canada is sometimes a hot topic and is often the subject of untrue myths and cause uninformed prejudices.

Refugees in Canada are no different, and this post will look at some of the myths about refugees in Canada, thanks to information from Amnesty International Canada.

Myth #1: The refugee system opens the door for terrorists and war criminals to get into Canada.

While it is possible for some refugees who have a criminal past to slip through the cracks in any country, Canada is able to deport or prosecute people who have been involved in war crimes or torture in other countries.

Myth #2: Canada takes on too many refugees.

According to Amnesty International Canada, The majority of refugees settle in developing countries instead of more isolated and developed countries like Canada. The number of refugees accepted into Canada each year is considered on a case-by-case basis, but makes up less than a tenth of one per cent of our total population.

Myth #3: Refugees are a drain on the Canadian economy.

The idea that refugees come to Canada to exist on welfare and not contribute is false. In fact, most of the refugees that come to Canada start their own small businesses that also provide jobs to Canadian-born people.