Senator Yuen Pau Woo

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Ottawa, Canada — A new report sheds light on the more than 4 million Canadians who live abroad and the myriad of government policies that affect them. It also discusses ways in which Canada can better engage with its overseas citizens. 

“Canadians Abroad: Overview of Recent Research and Implications for Public Policy” was commissioned by the office of The Honourable Yuen Pau Woo and written by Dr Lucia Kovacikova of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada.

Key Findings:

• There are over 4 million Canadians residing abroad, accounting for over 11% of the national population. We know relatively little about the Canadian diaspora, their experiences abroad, and how current federal and provincial policies affect them.
• Policy areas that have an impact on the diaspora’s experience include consular services, healthcare, taxation, voting rights, and economic and cultural policies among others, which are overseen by various government departments and agencies. Thus, working with and supporting the diaspora requires a cross-governmental approach.
• Members of the diaspora have the right to vote in national elections and often pay Canadian taxes while residing abroad. They are also unofficial representatives of Canada within their local communities and establish their own professional and personal networks that can aid in promoting Canada’s economic development, encourage skill-sharing, research, and innovation, and help build cultural ties between international communities. In short, the diaspora is an active international community and an untapped resource for Canada in the increasingly globalized world.
• The Government of Canada does not have an official strategy for cultivating the diaspora. This contrasts sharply with diaspora engagement policies of other countries, where citizens residing abroad are being actively incorporated into areas like skill sharing, economic development, cultural exchanges, and even foreign policy.

“The number of Canadians living overseas is greater than the populations of most provinces. There is, however, little public awareness of this rich ‘Canadian diaspora’ and very limited understanding of the social, political, and economic implications of Canadians abroad.” 

“Overseas Canadians are mostly seen through the lens of consular services, including the need to evacuate citizens from conflict zones in times of crisis. They are, however, much more than potential consular liabilities and should be more properly understood as underutilized assets for the country. This report highlights some of the many public policy areas that impinge on Canadians abroad and makes the case for an all-of-government strategy for engagement with our overseas citizens.” – The Honourable Senator Yuen Pau Woo

The full report is available at: https://senatoryuenpauwoo.ca/media/wyzltmzl/canadians-abroad-report-en.pdf  

For media inquiries, please contact:

Louise Haddock
Director of Issues Management
Office of the Honourable Yuen Pau Woo
Phone: (613) 995-9244
Email: Louise.Haddock@sen.parl.gc.ca

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