Canada has announced a reduction in its immigration targets for the coming years. The new plan, unveiled by Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, aims to balance the country’s economic needs with sustainable population growth.
This marks a significant policy shift as Canada has previously relied on open immigration to fill job vacancies and address its rapidly-aging workforce. Immigration has been a major driver of Canada’s population growth, accounting for about 97% of the increase last year. However, the country faces challenges such as a 6.5% unemployment rate and over 14% unemployment among young people. Immigrants play crucial roles in sectors like healthcare, construction, and transportation, with 23% of general contractors and residential builders being immigrants.
Key Changes in Immigration Targets
The government has revised its targets for permanent residents as follows: Reduced from 500,000 to 395,000 (a 21% drop) by 2025, further reduced to 380,000 by 2026 and set at 365,000 by 2027. This marks a notable decrease from previous targets, reflecting a strategic pause in population growth to ensure long-term sustainability.
“Today we’re announcing that we will reduce the number of immigrants we bring in over the next three years, which will result in a pause in the population growth over the next two years,” said Trudeau.
Immigration Minister Miller emphasized the need to adapt immigration policies to current economic pressures and ensure that newcomers have access to quality jobs, homes, and support systems.
For the first time, the three-year levels plan includes specific targets for temporary workers, including international students and temporary workers. This move is part of a broader effort to manage the volume of temporary residents and transition more of them to permanent residency. More than 40% of anticipated permanent resident admissions in 2025 will be from those who are already in Canada as temporary residents, according to Marc Miller.
The 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan is projected to result in a slight population decline of 0.2% in both 2025 and 2026. However, population growth is expected to rebound to 0.8% in 2027. The plan also aims to reduce temporary resident volumes to 5% of Canada’s population by the end of 2026.
“Consistent with our plan, over 40% of permanent residents will come from the temporary residents that are already in Canada. These people are a young labour pool. They’re skilled. They’re here, they’ve begun their process of integration and it doesn’t place the additional demands on the housing, healthcare and social services that we see with someone that comes directly from another country. It makes sense, we have a large pool, there are ways to integrate that highly talented pool into permanent residency” Miller said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau echoed this sentiment, acknowledging past imbalances between labour needs and population growth. Trudeau stated, “Our immigration system has always been responsible and flexible. We are acting today to ensure it works better for everyone.”
“We need others to step up and do their part too” he said, referring to the educational institutes companies that exploit immigrants by abusing the countries’ temporary worker provisions. “Too far, too many corporations have chosen to abuse our temporary measures, employing and exploiting foreign workers while refusing to hire Canadians for a fair wage, all while under the watch of provinces. Some colleges and universities are bringing in more international students than communities can accommodate, treating them as an expendable means to line their own pockets. That’s unacceptable, and it needs to change.”
Immigration has been a major driver of Canada’s population growth, accounting for about 97% of the increase last year. However, the country faces challenges such as a 6.5% unemployment rate and over 14% unemployment among young people. Immigrants play crucial roles in sectors like healthcare, construction, and transportation, with 23% of general contractors and residential builders being immigrants.
With upcoming elections, the government is keen to address public concerns about immigration’s impact on housing and public services. Trudeau and his government have been criticised for increasing immigration to Canada without bolstering services or housing construction. Trudeau also faces alarming pressure from inside his own Liberal Party to step down as leader in light of the housing and immigration problem. Critics argue that Canada’s rapidly growing population has put a strain on housing and public services like healthcare.
However, the cuts to immigration targets have been criticized by advocacy groups like the Migrant Rights Network, who wrote in an open letter to Trudeau and Miller, that migrants are being unfairly blamed for Canada’s affordability crisis.
Measures to Manage Temporary Residents
The government has introduced several measures to manage temporary resident arrivals and protect vulnerable populations which include reforming the International Student Program and tightening eligibility requirements for temporary foreign workers, post-graduation work permits, and work permits for spouses of international students and temporary foreign workers. It also includes updating the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program and aligning it with immigration goals and labour market needs, including limiting work permit eligibility for spouses of master’s degree students and foreign workers in specific sectors.
Manbilas Singh is a talented writer and journalist who focuses on the finer details in every story and values integrity above everything. A self-proclaimed sleuth, he strives to expose the fine print behind seemingly mundane activities and aims to uncover the truth that is hidden from the general public. In his time away from work, he is a music aficionado and a nerd who revels in video & board games, books and Formula 1.
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