Immigrant retention in NB: an analysis using administrative Medicare Registry data

Abstract

This paper examines immigrant retention using a novel approach based on data contained in New Brunswick’s Medicare Registry database. To date, researchers studying immigrant retention in Canada have had only a few options with regard to suitable data, and each data source is characterized by limitations intrinsic to the nature of the data collection. These in turn raise caveats about the conclusions that can be drawn from analysis of those datasets. By demonstrating the utility and feasibility of another data source that to our knowledge has not previously been used for such a purpose, we are able to add new results to the existing literature, thereby improving our understanding of the extent of and characteristics underpinning immigrant retention in the host region as well as assess the robustness of published results based on data from other sources. The main objective of the paper is to improve the current understanding of secondary migration patterns of New Brunswick residents with the objective of increasing retention rates among vulnerable populations such as immigrants and refugees.