Features
Canada’s best seven cities for fresh immigrants
Are you planning or thinking of going to Canada and at loss over the best city to stay?
Below is a list of best seven cities you can choose from.
1. Ottawa
The city of Ottawa is a favourite with immigrants. The city constantly receives high marks for life quality and cleanliness and is often seen as one of the nicest places to live in the world.
Ottawa is a vibrant, young city with beautiful architecture, a thriving city centre, and picturesque neighbourhoods because of its cultural diversity.
Enormous young people are drawn to the city by its two universities, the University of Ottawa and Carleton University.
The city is home to just under 1 million people, but new investment and Canada’s immigration drive forecasts to increase population by 3% over the next three years.
Another advantage is that Ottawa is incredibly green and clean. There are many options for an active outdoor lifestyle, and it is bike-friendly.
There are various trails, walkways, running tracks, and bike lanes along the magnificent Rideau Canal that runs through the city.
Moreover, the canal freezes over in the winter and turns into the longest ice skating rink in the world.
The city of Ottawa experiences four distinct seasons, which offer a change of scenery throughout the year.
The city’s winters are chilly and dazzlingly bright, and many winter activities are available. Conversely, summers can be fairly hot and muggy.
Ottawa offers many services in French and English because the city is officially bilingual. While knowing French is helpful, English is widely spoken.
You don’t need to be bilingual to lead a happy life there, but learning French may help you integrate quickly or land a specific job.
Despite being higher than average, Ottawa’s cost of living is still very reasonable. Apartments can be rented between CAN $700 and 1400 per month, depending on your desired area.
However, eating out and buying groceries can be expensive, mainly if they are imported.
Although incomes are higher than usual, Ottawa’s unemployment rate of 5.3% is one of the lowest.
Retail salespeople, computer programmers, and interactive media creators are among the top professions.
In addition, information systems analysts and consultants are also in high demand.
The federal government of Canada is headquartered in Ottawa, which also has significant municipal and provincial government employees.
In Ottawa, the public sector employs about 20% of the labour force. Natural and applied sciences, as well as fields related to them and occupations in education, law, and community, experienced the fastest employment growth.
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2. Burlington
Burlington, close to Toronto, is the ideal location for people who desire to live in a big city close to nature and the great outdoors.
It is located at the southwestern edge of Lake Ontario. Burlington preserves more than 580 hectares of parkland and has an excellent quality of life.
Many schools, universities, and healthcare services are available to residents, making for a decent quality of life.
In addition, Burlington offers wonderful and varied options, from the 115 parks spread around the city to the museums to the numerous annual festivals locals participate in.
The average home in Burlington costs approximately $500,000, four and a half times the average income.
As a result, Burlington is one of the more expensive cities. However, this city gets top grades for its low unemployment, lovely weather, minimal crime, high earnings, and excellent transit.
The city’s diverse economic basis contributes to its economic stability and guarantees that work opportunities are consistently available across many sectors.
Any one industry or employer does not dominate the economy of Burlington. Nevertheless, it’s not difficult to find work in Burlington, and the city’s low unemployment rate can be attributed to the diverse economy of the affluent Golden Horseshoe region.
The commuter train between downtown Burlington and central Burlington makes it simple to reach Toronto from Burlington.
The commute by rail lasts one hour. So many professionals decide to commute daily from Burlington to Toronto for business.
3. Oakville
Oakville, a charming suburban community in southern Ontario, is particularly proud of its excellent location in Halton Region on Lake Ontario, which provides residents with simple access to Toronto’s metropolitan centre and natural wonders on the one hand.
Toronto’s downtown is only 30 minutes away by car from Oakville, and it takes an hour to get to Niagara Falls and the US border.
Because of its exceptional catering for families and kids, it deserves to be included on the list of Canada’s greatest places to live.
There is no shortage of things to do for those who enjoy the arts, culture, and music.
These include performances at the nearby Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts, trips to museums and galleries, and fantastic festivals like the annual Waterfront Festival, Festival of Classics, and Jazz Festival in Oakville.
There are many leisure options in the neighbourhood. For example, seven golf courses are available for play, including the PGA-recognized Glen Abbey Golf Course, which has frequently hosted the Canadian Open.
Over 2,400 acres of parkland contain many well-maintained hiking routes. In addition, two beautiful harbours and boating options are available in Oakville for boaters.
With manufacturing facilities run by UTC Aerospace Systems and General Electric, as well as Siemens and The Ford Motor Company’s Canadian offices based in Oakville, jobs are simple to get.
Oakville is a popular location for life science businesses, primarily focusing on pharmaceuticals and eldercare.
However, like Burlington, Oakville is a suburb of Toronto, and many locals travel to Toronto for work, where there are numerous and varied career options.
4. St. Albert
For several years running, St. Albert, Alberta, has been moving up the list of the greatest provinces in Canada.
More Canadians and foreigners are moving to Alberta because of its robust economy and well-paying jobs as people realize that the province offers more than simply oil.
It includes all the conveniences, including parks and facilities to support a healthy lifestyle, schools, health care, and recreational options.
More than 85 km of bike routes run alongside the Sturgeon River in St. Albert. There are also plenty of outdoor rinks.
A 55,000-person annual International Children’s Festival is held there as well.
Although the country’s winters can be brutal (with an average of 28 days per year with a minimum temperature below -20 C), there is still plenty of sunshine all year round, and crime rates are progressively declining.
St. Albert is a popular location for people who prefer a slower pace of life because it is only 30 kilometres from Edmonton, the regional capital.
Edmonton commuting services are convenient through the St. Albert Transit system. St. Albert may be a better option if living in Edmonton doesn’t appeal to you, but your employer is there.
With most residents travelling to Edmonton for work, St. Albert has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation (4.3%) and some of the highest earnings.
St. Albert can’t completely avoid the trend in the area even though it has a considerably smaller exposure to the oil and gas business.
Petrochemicals are the most significant industry in Edmonton’s nearby oil and gas hub.
Oil and natural gas are abundant in the area, earning Edmonton the moniker “Oil Capital of Canada.”
Many St. Albert people commute to Edmonton to work in the oil industry. However, there are numerous different career fields available in the region.
For example, information technology, banking, and biotechnology all offer opportunities.
5. Boucherville
With a population of about 43,000, Boucherville is one of the oldest municipalities in Québec.
The city’s unemployment rate is an exceptionally low 2.88 percent, and the typical household income is $92,253.
Boucherville’s proximity to Montreal and rapid population expansion, along with its bike-friendly streets and vibrant arts and sports scene, make it particularly appealing to foreign residents.
In Boucherville, the outdoors is undoubtedly an important aspect. One of the most incredible parks in Canada is the Iles-de-Boucherville National Park, which offers activities like sea kayaking, snow hiking, volleyball on sand, riding, and wildlife viewing.
It’s the ideal place for a family who enjoys golf, the outdoors, and scenic views but yet needs access to a big city’s facilities.
Most people in Boucherville speak French; about 2% of the population can speak English fluently.
About 90% of the population speaks French. Therefore, if you wish to relocate to Boucherville, understanding French is a need.
Bilingual people have higher employment prospects from an employment standpoint.
The city generally has a low unemployment rate, and personnel acquire top salaries. Boucherville’s commercial park is domestic to around 575 agencies, presenting employment to 23 000 people.
Given that Montreal, Canada’s second-largest city, is only 18 kilometres from Boucherville, many Boucherville inhabitants commute to Montreal for work. Montreal’s typical industries are aerospace, software, electronics, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and transportation.
Over 40,000 people are employed in Quebec’s aerospace industry, which includes firms like Bell Helicopter Textron, Bombardier Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, and CAE. The city is one of North America’s main aerospace hubs.
6. Vancouver
It’s not surprising that Vancouver consistently ranks as one of the best cities in the world to live in.
The city has it all: mountains, beaches, islands, a coastline, an urban core, and lovely residential districts.
Vancouver genuinely offers everything. The real estate market in Vancouver is the only disadvantage if you intend to relocate there.
In the suburbs, the cost of a family house can soon exceed $1 million, and any properties that come on the market are quickly purchased.
As a result, finding a place to live can be challenging because even rent can be costly.
However, you may take advantage of all Vancouver offers after resolving your home situation.
It has excellent links to nearby islands and other countries, so leaving the city and entering nature is frequently simpler than going downtown.
The economy of Vancouver is vibrant and diverse. Since the city is the third-most-popular filming destination after New York and LA, the film and television industries are major employers in the region.
Vancouver jobs are simple to locate and pay well, thanks to the 2010 Winter Olympics, which attracted investment that facilitates locating a home!
However, Vancouver has a fairly high overall cost of living.
In most of Canada, Vancouver boasts the best public transportation, shopping areas, harbour, and well-maintained parks (Stanley Park is renowned worldwide).
It also offers the best schools, hospitals, and medical services.
Since Vancouver’s weather is milder than other cities, outdoor activities are more available all year round. Vancouver is amazing if you can afford it.
7. Calgary
There is a good probability that you will have to choose between Calgary and Edmonton if you are going to Alberta.
Anyone moving to Canada will find that Calgary, the largest city in Alberta, has a lot to offer.
It is a vibrant metropolis with 1.5 million residents that is constantly alive and deeply rooted in the natural world and its surroundings.
Life in Calgary is undoubtedly picturesque due to the city’s location at the elbow and bow of two rivers at the base of the Rocky Mountains.
The railway’s westward expansion initially caused Calgary to develop from a small village into a city.
As a result, it combines all the city’s facilities with all the charm of a mountain village.
The entire region got enormous investment when Calgary was chosen as the host city for the 1988 Winter Olympics.
However, despite having some of the best sporting facilities and transportation options, Calgary residents continue to profit financially.
Calgary is one of the most diverse cities in Canada thanks to its 180 distinct neighbourhoods, each of which has its history and culture.
There is constantly something new to discover because redevelopment occurs in several older neighbourhoods.
The city’s parks and outdoor areas are exceptionally maintained, particularly Prince Island Park, which hosts several festivities like a music festival and a cowboy stampede.
The great amenities and ongoing redevelopment are driving up house costs. For example, a condominium typically costs around CA$300,000, but a home typically costs around CA$500,000.
Calgary is an easy area to move to if you’re seeking work because there are many positions in the tourist, film, manufacturing, aerospace, health, financial services, and transport sectors.
A Libyan human rights organization has raised alarm over what it describes as a sharp increase in violations against migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and foreign workers across Libya since the beginning of June 2026.
In a statement released this week, Libya Crimes Watch (LCW) said it has documented widespread arrests, raids on migrant residences, forced evictions, and physical and verbal assaults in both eastern and western parts of the country. The group also reported a surge in hate speech and incitement to violence targeting migrant communities.
According to LCW, its field teams have monitored large-scale arrest campaigns in several cities, including Tripoli, Benghazi, Ajdabiya, and Al-Bayda. Those detained reportedly include women and children. The organization said it has also documented incidents in which migrants were forcibly removed from their homes and subjected to abuse, including individuals with existing health conditions.
LCW alleged that the operations are being carried out by security agencies and armed groups affiliated with authorities in both eastern and western Libya. The group named the Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF), the Directorate for Combatting Illegal Migration (DCIM), and the General Directorate of Security Operations (GDSO), among others, as entities involved in the campaigns.
The organization further expressed concern over what it described as the involvement of civilians in some raids and assaults. It also cited widespread anti-migrant rhetoric on social media and in local media outlets, including platforms it said are aligned with authorities and official institutions. According to LCW, such messaging has contributed to increased hostility toward migrants and encouraged participation in actions targeting them.
One Sudanese migrant, identified by the pseudonym “Inas” for security reasons, recounted an alleged attack on her family. She told LCW that armed men entered their home, assaulted family members, used racist language, and forced them from the property before stealing their belongings.
“We are now on the street with nowhere to go,” she said, according to the statement. “We have a sick family member who needs care, and we have found no organization to help or protect us.”
LCW said Libyan authorities in both the east and west bear legal responsibility for protecting migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers and ensuring respect for their rights under international human rights law. The organization called for an immediate end to abuses, protection against violence and forced evictions, and a halt to deportations or forced returns that could expose individuals to persecution or other harm.
The group also urged the Office of the Libyan Attorney General to stop detaining people solely on the basis of their migration or asylum status and to investigate all reported violations. LCW called for those responsible for abuses, including individuals who ordered, participated in, or facilitated them, to be held accountable through fair and independent legal proceedings.
In addition, the organization appealed to international bodies, including the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), to take urgent measures to protect migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers at risk in Libya.
The allegations have not been independently verified, and Libyan authorities had not publicly responded to the claims at the time of the statement’s release.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has appeared on the Norwegian Refugee Council’s (NRC) annual list of top neglected displacement crises, for the tenth year running, and the neglect is deepening.
“This is a testament to the world’s failure to respond to crises that are not regarded as strategically important for rich countries,” said NRC’s Secretary General Jan Egeland. “Millions of people are being abandoned because we have chosen not to act, not because we cannot. The uncomfortable truth is that this neglect is a choice, and something we can choose to end.”
In 2025, just 27.4 per cent of the funding required to respond to the crisis in DR Congo was provided, the lowest rate in 10 years, leaving over 21 million people in need with no or drastically reduced assistance. A decade ago, the international community was providing 55 US dollars per person in need in DR Congo. Today that figure has collapsed to under 33 US dollars.
Countries such as Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Mali and Nigeria have all featured on the list six or more times, pointing to a systemic pattern of deliberate neglect rather than isolated failure.
“Donor governments have been presented with evidence of neglect, year after year. Yet those in power still choose to prioritise military and strategic investments and underfund, deprioritise and sideline the victims of these crises. It is a failure of our humanity,” said Egeland.
The report is the tenth edition of NRC’s Neglected Displacement Crises Report, tracking how responses continue to fall short of the scale of suffering.
Sudan tops the list
The 10 most neglected crises for 2025 are Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Colombia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Honduras, Ecuador, Cameroon, Nigeria and Mozambique, spanning three continents and tens of millions of people the world continues to ignore.
The Neglected Displacement Crises Report assesses each crisis across four indicators: media coverage, funding, political attention, and scale of displacement. A lower score indicates a larger gap between the scale of human suffering and the adequacy of international response.
Sudan tops this year’s list. More than 9 million people are internally displaced, and up to 4 million have fled to neighbouring countries. Nearly 19.5 million people inside Sudan are facing hunger, yet the international response remains wholly inadequate to that scale of suffering.
“It is incomprehensible that a displacement crisis of similar proportions to the crises in Syria and Ukraine at their peak can continue to worsen almost unnoticed,” Egeland said. “Just as needs in Sudan skyrocketed last year and famine kept spreading, the funding was cut. Many displaced people receive no international support and are left to beg for assistance from other displaced people who no longer have anything more to share.”
A decade of the same pattern
Since NRC began publishing this report 10 years ago, 27 crises across four continents have appeared on the list, and the pattern is unambiguous. The African continent features the most consistently. From the Sahel region to the Horn of Africa, from the Great Lakes to West Africa, many of these are cases of prolonged or repeated displacement. Across the board, neglect coincides with access restrictions for humanitarians. With rare exceptions, the crises that were ignored a decade ago are still being ignored today. In DR Congo, the Ebola outbreak now spreading across eastern parts of the country — declared a public health emergency of international concern by WHO in May 2026 — is unfolding in communities already devastated by years of displacement and humanitarian neglect.
“Behind every statistic in eastern DR Congo are families who have endured years of violence, repeated displacement, and deep uncertainty about their future,” said Eric Batonon, NRC’s country director in the Democratic Republic of Congo. “While attention shifts from one global emergency to another, millions of Congolese continue to live without adequate protection, assistance, or hope. The fact that DR Congo remains among the world’s most neglected crises for the tenth consecutive year should serve as a wake-up call to the international community.”
What NRC is calling for
The gap between needs and available humanitarian funding is increasing as a result of brutal humanitarian funding cuts. This is affecting the neglected crises particularly hard, as these crises are already characterised by less available funding per person in need.
NRC urges donor governments to fund crises based on humanitarian need and scale of displacement, not geopolitical interest. It calls on political leaders and diplomats to engage seriously with the root causes of protracted displacement, many of which persist precisely because they are seen as having little geopolitical importance. It also calls on media organisations to report on these crises with the consistency and depth they demand as ongoing emergencies.
“The crises ignored today will demand a larger, costlier and more complex response tomorrow,” said Egeland. “The world does not lack for skills nor resources. Be it arranging football World Cups, or pioneering space exploration: our ability to organise and overcome challenges is almost without limit. We can and must finally take the decision to end the neglect that has caused such deep suffering for millions of people”.
Features
Ebola: Border closures alone risk driving movement underground and increasing transmission risks
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has urged governments and partners to strengthen urgently cross-border coordination to contain the ongoing Bundibugyo virus disease (Ebola) outbreak, warning that border closures alone risk driving movement underground and increasing transmission risks.
Latest World Health Organization (WHO) figures show 116 suspected cases, 321 confirmed cases, 48 deaths, and six recovered cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In Uganda, there have been nine confirmed cases, and one death to date.
“Viruses do not stop at borders, and neither should our response,” said Ugochi Daniels, IOM Deputy Director General for Operations. “When borders close, people often continue moving through informal routes where health screening and surveillance are limited. The most effective response is coordinated action that keeps mobility visible, safe and monitored.”
IOM warns that reactive border closures can reduce visibility of population movements, undermining health screening, surveillance, contact tracing and early detection efforts. Evidence from previous health emergencies shows that movement restrictions do not stop mobility but often redirect it towards informal and less-monitored routes.
This is the 17th Ebola outbreak recorded in the DRC and the third largest on record, highlighting both the recurring nature of the disease and the importance of sustained preparedness.
The outbreak is unfolding in one of the world’s most complex humanitarian contexts. Eastern DRC is already affected by conflict and large-scale displacement. As of March 2026, 3.6 million people have been internally displaced in the country, including nearly 922,000 displaced in Ituri Province alone, where the outbreak is centred.
The confirmation of cross-border transmission between DRC and Uganda further highlights the urgency of coordinated regional action, particularly in areas where daily cross-border movement is essential for trade, livelihoods and access to basic services.
Data from IOM’s Flow Monitoring Registry at key formal and informal crossing points—including Cyanika, Busunga, Bunagana, Mpondwe, Goli, Vurra, Busanza and Ntoroko—shows that cross-border mobility continues despite restrictions, including through informal routes, reinforcing the need for data-driven and coordinated response measures.
People living in displacement sites, border communities and conflict-affected areas face heightened vulnerability due to limited access to healthcare, clean water and other essential services, increasing the risk of undetected transmission.
IOM is supporting governments and partners in DRC, Uganda and neighbouring countries by strengthening border health operations, population mobility mapping, disease surveillance, risk communication and community engagement in high-mobility areas.
Understanding where, why and how people move remains critical to preventing further spread. Public health measures must be informed by mobility patterns and coordinated across borders to ensure effective containment while avoiding unintended consequences that push movement out of sight.
Significant funding gaps continue to constrain the scale and speed of response efforts, including preparedness activities across the region.
IOM welcomes the swift financial contribution from the United States, which is helping to strengthen frontline response efforts and save lives. Close coordination with the African Union, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, WHO and United Nations partners remains essential to containing the outbreak.
While Ebola is a preventable and containable disease, additional resources are urgently needed to sustain surveillance systems, maintain border health operations, strengthen community-based prevention efforts and expand support in displacement settings.
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