Ottawa – On Thursday, Canada announced a significant reduction in its immigration targets, marking a notable change in policy as public support for new arrivals declines.
This decision is a departure for a nation known for its welcoming stance toward immigrants, particularly economic migrants from developing countries seeking improved living conditions.
According to Statistics Canada, the country’s population rose by 3.2 percent from 2023 to 2024, the largest annual increase since 1957, now totaling 41 million. This growth was partly driven by a record number of new arrivals.
During the announcement, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that while the influx of immigrants helped the Canadian economy recover from disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it was now necessary to make “adjustments.”
“Today, we’re announcing that we will reduce the number of immigrants we bring in over the next three years. This will result in a pause in population growth over the next two years,” Trudeau said. He emphasized the need to stabilize the population so that “all levels of government have time to catch up, time to make necessary investments in health care, housing, and social services to accommodate more people in the future.”
Previously, the immigration ministry had planned to welcome 500,000 new permanent residents in 2025 and 2026. However, the new targets have been revised to 395,000 for next year and 380,000 for 2026. The target for 2027 is set at 365,000.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller described this initiative as “probably the first of its kind,” aimed at broadly controlling population growth in Canada.
The 2021 census revealed that 23 percent of Canada’s population was foreign-born. According to Statistics Canada, most immigrants come from Asia and the Middle East, with an increasing number arriving from Africa. Notably, nearly one in five recent immigrants were born in India.
Public Sentiment on Immigration
Recent surveys indicate a shift in public opinion regarding immigration. A survey conducted last month by the Environics Institute revealed that for the first time in 25 years, a majority of Canadians believe there is too much immigration. The survey found that 58 percent of Canadians think the country takes in too many immigrants, an increase of 14 percentage points from 2023.
Another survey by Abacus Data showed that half of Canadians feel immigration is detrimental to the country. Concerns about immigration are closely linked to perceived shortages of essential resources, particularly affordable housing.
Miller underscored that the new immigration plans aim to address what many Canadians refer to as a housing crisis. He predicted that the downward revision of immigration targets would reduce the housing supply gap, decreasing the number of homes Canada needs to build by 670,000 by 2027.
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