African immigrants in Canada: a profile of human capital, income and remittance behaviour

Abstract

This article provides a profile of African immigrants in Canada, with a focus on human capital and remittance behaviour. Our results show that about one-third of African immigrants in Canada have a Bachelor's degree or higher, and that the stock of African immigrants increased by 31 per cent over a five-year period, while total remittances from Canada to Africa doubled. Results from our quantitative analysis show that family income, age, education at landing, sponsorship, immigrant status and membership of social organisations affect the likelihood of recent immigrants remitting to family members in Africa. From a development perspective, remittance fees were found to be high; this undermines the potential role of remittances in Africa's development and calls for a review of the existing regulatory framework on money transfer.

Résumé

Cet article profile les immigrés africains au Canada, avec un foyer sur le comportement de capital humain et de remise. Nos résultats montrent que cela environ un tiers d'immigrés africains au Canada ont une licence ou en haut, et que les actions des immigrés africains ont augmenté de 31 pour cent sur une période de cinq ans, alors que les remises totales du Canada vers l'Afrique doublaient. Les résultats de notre analyse quantitative prouvent que le revenu de famille, l’âge, l’éducation à l'atterrissage, le patronage, le statut immigré, et l'adhésion des organismes sociaux affectent la probabilité des immigrés récents remettant aux membres de famille en Afrique. D'une perspective de développement, des honoraires de remise sont avérés hauts; ceci mine le rôle potentiel des remises dans le développement de l'Afrique et réclame un examen du cadre de normalisation existant sur le transfert d'argent.

Keywords:

• migration from Africa
• human capital
• remittances
• socio-economic development
• Canada

View correction statement:

Correction to: Loxley, Sackey and Khan, African Immigrants in Canada: A Profile of Human Capital, Income and Remittance Behaviour

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the anonymous referees for their comments. We are also grateful to Statistics Canada for granting access to the LSIC micro data through its Research Data Centre, and to the World Bank for making available the micro data for the Africa Migration Project.

Notes

1. Based on the UNDP's Human Development Index (UNDP 2014).

Additional information

Biographical notes

John Loxley is Professor of Economics and the Coordinator of Research, Global Political Economy Program, Faculty of Arts at the University of Manitoba. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the 2010 Progressive Economists’ Forum's recipient of the Galbraith Prize in Economics and Social Justice, and recipient of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) Distinguished Academic Award (May 2008). His research interests include international finance, international development and community economic development.

Harry A. Sackey is a Professor of Economics at Vancouver Island University, British Columbia. His research interests span economic development issues, particularly in Africa, human capital development, labour market issues, poverty and the role of financial flows in development.

Syeed Khan is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Manitoba. His research interests are in economic and social issues.