For the first time in years, Canada is set to significantly reduce its immigration numbers, marking a shift in policy as the government seeks to maintain its hold on power. According to a government source, Canada plans to welcome 395,000 new permanent residents in 2025, 380,000 in 2026, and 365,000 in 2027, down from the 485,000 targeted for 2024.
The number of temporary residents is also expected to drop by about 30,000, bringing the total to around 300,000 in 2025, the source added.
Historically, Canada has embraced newcomers, but the national discourse on immigration has evolved due to rising housing costs. Many Canadians have found themselves priced out of the housing market since interest rates began climbing two years ago, while the growing immigrant population has further increased housing demand, exacerbating the situation.
This issue has become a significant point of contention in Canadian politics, especially with a federal election due by October 2025. Polls indicate that an increasing number of Canadians feel the country is admitting too many immigrants. This sentiment has led to a backlash against newcomers, and there have been reports of rising hate crimes against visible minorities, according to advocates.
Migrant rights advocates have strongly criticized the change in immigration policy.
“We are witnessing one of the most egregious rollbacks of migrant rights in Canadian history,” stated Syed Hussan, spokesperson for the Migrant Rights Network Secretariat. “Cutting permanent resident numbers is a direct assault on migrants who will be forced to remain temporary or become undocumented, pushed further into exploitative jobs.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office was not available for immediate comment on the new policy shift.
The reduction in immigration targets contrasts sharply with the government’s pandemic-era policies, which had loosened rules for temporary residents to help address labour shortages. In 2023, Canada had initially planned to admit 500,000 new permanent residents by 2025 and the same amount by 2026.
As of the second quarter of 2024, Canada had 2.8 million temporary residents, including workers and students, according to Statistics Canada.
In an August interview with Reuters, Immigration Minister Marc Miller noted that “Canadians want a(n immigration) system that is not out of control.” The Liberal government, which has been trailing in the polls, has been working to regulate immigration in response to political pressure.
Under Trudeau’s leadership, fewer visas have been approved this year, and an increasing number of visa-holders have been turned away at the border, according to data obtained by Reuters.
The government aims to reduce the proportion of temporary residents in the population to five percent over three years, down from 6.8 percent in April. It has also introduced a cap on the number of international students entering the country and tightened regulations on the temporary foreign worker program, which has been criticized for suppressing wages and leaving workers vulnerable to exploitation.
