Migración internacional de enfermeras/os de América Latina 2010-2019

114 Migración internacional de enfermeras/os de América Latina 2010-2019 Canada Anisha Rao Introduction Canada has a global reputation of being a country of immigrants due to its welcoming attitude and ample opportunities for migrants when they arrive in the country (Bérard-Chagnon, 2018). Natio- nal and global circumstances often influence the number of immigrants to Canada and emigrants from Canada throughout time, such as political conflicts, public health issues, and policy reforms. However, there is a consistent increase in the number of migrants to Canada annually (Canadian Megatrends, 2016). Immigrants to Canada can become permanent residents or Canadian citizens (Statistics Canada, 2019). Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) outlines the four legal categories of admission into Canada, which include the economic class, the family class, the protected persons class, and other or special circumstances (Government of Canada (GoC), 2001). In general, the economic class contributes the most significant proportion of immigrants to Canada annually, followed by the family class. For instance, in 2018, 58% of all immigrants to Canada mi- grated under the economic class, while 27% arrived under the family class, 4% under the protected persons class, and one percent under the other category (Cheatham, 2020). Nurses from Latin America often migrate to English-speaking countries, like Canada and the United States of America (USA), for improved and secure job opportunities outside of their countries of resi- dence or training. There is an increasing global nursing shortage, and Latin America is largely expe- riencing this brain drain due to the emigration of their nurses in necessitous regions. There is a need for more nurses to be trained and to practice in Latin America to mitigate the shortage of nurses in urban and rural settings, yet they are still emigrating. Greater than 40% of Caribbean nursing posi- tions are available in English-speaking regions due to the migration of these nurses to new countries (Jacobson, 2015). To explore the patterns, reasons, and magnitude associated with the international migration of nurses from Latin America to Canada, this report will address these research questions: 1. What is the number of nurses trained in Latin America who emigrated from their country of residence to work in Canada between 2010 and 2019? 2. What are the characteristics of the international migration of nurses from Latin America to Canada from 2010-2019? This report will provide a brief demographic and socio-sanitary profile on Canada and discuss ge- neral Canadian migration patterns, information on the Canadian healthcare system, nursing supply in Canada, the international migration of nurses to Canada, especially from Latin America, current migration policies and recommendations. Refer to Appendix A for further information on the demo- graphic context and socio-sanitary profile of Canada.