Family physicians caring for recent immigrants.

Canada has a rich history of immigration, with more than 250 000 new immigrants arriving each year. Nearly 20% of Canadians were born outside of Canada; in Toronto, Ont, the percentage has reached 45.7%.1 The 2006 Census Snapshot showed that 79.7% of new immigrants to Canada came from Asia, the Middle East, South America, and Africa, and newcomers settled predominately in large urban centres.1 Recent immigrants might face challenges in accessing primary health care—a national shortage of family physicians, cultural and language differences,2 and an increasingly complex health care system are only a few obstacles these immigrants face. The vast majority of recent immigrants report good health2; however, there are subgroups of recent immigrants, such as children, pregnant women, and refugees, who might require timely access to health services.