Canada, a nation historically known for its welcoming stance towards immigrants, announced yesterday a notable 21% decrease in the quota for permanent residents it will accept starting next year. This decision indicates a shift in response to public sentiment, which has expressed concerns regarding immigration.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated, “Immigration is essential for Canada’s future, but it needs to be controlled,” highlighting that this reduction will lead to a “temporary halt in population growth over the next two years.”
This action follows a series of measures aimed at managing record immigration levels, with the population surpassing 41 million at the start of the year, compared to around 35 million a decade ago.
Trudeau explained that the intention is to “stabilize our demographic growth to give the government, at all levels, enough time to catch up and make necessary investments in healthcare, housing, and social services.”
Immigration Minister Marc Miller noted that “this plan is probably the first of its kind so far,” confirming that it responds to “a significant amount of criticism” received in the past.
A recent survey by Abacus Data revealed that one in two Canadians believes that immigration is detrimental to the nation. For the first time in 25 years, 58% of Canadians feel there is too much immigration, a sentiment that has grown significantly for the second consecutive year, according to another survey by Environics Institute.
This announcement represents a dramatic shift for Canada, a country that has long been regarded as a destination for immigrants, particularly economic migrants from developing countries seeking improved living conditions.
The immigration minister emphasized that the plan aims to help ease the current housing crisis by decreasing the number of new units to be constructed.
However, over 120 civil society organizations expressed in an open letter that “immigrants are not responsible for the housing crisis in Canada, the job shortage, or insufficient healthcare or other public services,” arguing that the true causes of these crises lie in “decades of federal and provincial policies.”
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce described the announced reduction as “disappointing for businesses across the country,” as they view immigration as a “key driver of economic growth and our only source of workforce growth in the short term.”
Opposition Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre criticized Trudeau, claiming that he has “destroyed the immigration system” and asserting that “today’s change in stance is an admission of failure.”
Meanwhile, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has focused on immigration as a central theme of his campaign, reacted to the Canadian government’s announcement, stating, “Even Justin Trudeau wants to close Canada’s borders,” in reference to his own plan for regulating immigrants at the U.S. border.
