Migration Regime in Toronto and the Roles of Municipal Government in the Economic Integration of Somali Refugees (1991-2011)

In the early 1990s, the Somalis became one of the top refugee groups in Canada, when Canada was trying to throw away the yo ke of economic recession bedeviling the country since the 1980s. Making the matter worse, the socio-economic attributes of those Somali refugees never reflected any possibility of quick access to labor market. This study explored the migration history of Somali refugees to Canada and how they later became a collection among ethno- racial groups of African descent residents in Toronto. The study inv estigated the problem of economic integration that confronted the Somalis on arrival to the city. The study therefore concluded that city governments have assumed more critical roles in immigrant integration and it has become needful to incorporate their views in intergovernmental diplomacy on matters relating to immigration and immigrant integration.