Immigrants' Health and Socio-Economic Integration in Canada


Anila Zainub, HE Solutions, Inc.

Muslim high skilled immigrant population in Canada has been steadily increasing in the past few decades. They continue to join the previous high skilled cohorts in facing the tribulations of economic and social settlement. Research shows that high skilled Muslim immigrants are a young, likely to be underemployed/unemployed, and a visibly racialized minority in Canada. Upon arrival they face many obstacles in their integration process. The obstacles to successful socio-economic integration include but are not limited to non-recognition of credentials, occupational downgrading, demands for Canadian experience, and discrimination in hiring and retention (Banerjee et. al., 2021; Ellis, 2019; Guo, 2013; Lightman and Gingrich, 2018), all of which can have a significant impact on immigrants health (Zainub, 2023). Previous research (Dean and Wilson, 2009; Premji and Shakya, 2017) shows a link between under/unemployment and health as well as fields which are highly feminized and racialized can expose immigrants to precarity and poor working conditions. The existing literature review shows that there is a dearth of qualitative research examining the lived experiences of high skilled Muslim immigrants and their health as it pertains to their socio-economic integration. The data for this work is extracted from my doctoral study which explored the social and economic integration outcomes and lived experiences of highly skilled Muslim immigrants in Canada. My doctoral study investigated the effect of race and religion on their experiences of socio-economic integration and examines their strategies of resistance in response to the challenges. I conducted twenty-one qualitative, semi-structured interviews and applied the theoretical perspectives of Muhammad Iqbals concept of Khudi (Self) and Anti-colonial Discursive framework. My study found that Muslim immigrants experience acute disadvantages socially and economically and face Islamophobia and racism in the labour market. This leads to low socio-economic integration, poor physical and mental health which is rooted in not only the tribulations of the migration process but more significantly to credential/skill mismatch, occupational downgrading, and Islamophobia in the labour market. I present these findings along with recommendations for addressing these health concerns, among them are the role of health care practitioners and policymakers. This presentation argues that connections between the integration process and its influence on Muslim immigrants health must be better understood by medical practitiioners. Furthermore, policy makers must also address the non-recognition of foreign credentials/ skills as well as the rise in discrimination and Islamophobia in the Canadian labour market.  

This paper will be presented at the following session: