Albanian Canadians
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (28,270 (by ancestry, 2015 Census)) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton | |
| Languages | |
| Albanian, Canadian English, Canadian French | |
| Religion | |
|
|
| Related ethnic groups | |
|
Albanians Albanian diaspora Albanian American |
Albanian Canadians (Albanian: Shqiptarë Kanadezë) are Canadian citizens of Albanian descent or Albanian people who are citizens of Canada. According to the 2011 Census there were 28,270 Canadians who claimed Albanian ancestry, an increase compared to the 22,395 in the 2006 Census.
The first Albanians who settled in Canada arrived in the early 20th century, due to internal uprisings that occurred in their country of origin. However, after World War II (1938–1943) very few Albanians moved to Canada, and most arrived from the former Yugoslavia, due to a communist regime in Albania, which prohibited foreign travel. Most Albanians who emigrated to Canada country after the war decided to settle in Montreal or Toronto. There were also some Albanian workers who resided in Calgary and Ontario (e.g. Peterborough). Despite this migration, by 1986, the number of Albanians was recorded at just under 1,500. However, in 1991, these figures nearly doubled. The number of Albanians in Canada peaked in the late 1990s as they fled economic and political crisis in both Albania and Yugoslavia.
At the beginning of the 21st century, a new war prompted a second wave of immigration of Albanians in Canada. This armed conflict was a clash between Albanian and Serb military and police, which caused many Albanians to feel compelled to leave Kosovo as refugees, many of them emigrating to Canada. Thus, in 1999, the Government of Canada established a residency program to allow 7,000 refugee Kosovar Albanians.
As with professionals from other countries, there has been a large influx of young Albanian professionals who immigrate to Canada for a better life.
According to the 2006 census, there were 22,395 people of ethnic Albanian descent living in Canada, most of whom 11,385 (51%) resided in Toronto.Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Ottawa and Peterborough are areas on the outskirts of Toronto which also have Albanian communities.
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