Canada To Curb Immigration, Trudeau Says 'Government Failed To Get Right Balance'

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged that his government failed to get the balance right coming out of the pandemic.

Canada announced on Thursday that it was significantly curbing immigration targets. The country’s move is a major shift from its long-standing reputation for welcoming immigrants, including economic migrants from developing countries looking for better living conditions. 

According to the Associated Press (AP), Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged that his government failed to get the balance right coming out of the pandemic. His government was criticised for its plan to allow 500,000 new permanent residents into the country in each of the following two years. 

However, on Thursday, he said next year’s target will now be 395,000 new permanent residents and that the figure will drop to 380,000 in 2026 and 365,000 in 2027.

A report by AFP, cited the national statistic agency which said that Canada saw a population jump of 3.2 per cent between 2023 and 2024, which was the biggest annual rise since 1957 and now it stands at 41 million. It said the rise was partly fuelled by an unprecedented wave of new arrivals.

Trudeau said, “In the tumultuous times as we emerged from the pandemic, between addressing labor needs and maintaining population growth, we didn’t get the balance right”.

“Immigration is essential for Canada’s future, but it must be controlled and it must be sustainable.”

According to The Washington Post, this change would mean growth in population that Canada saw mostly due to immigration its population is likely to shrink by 0.2 per cent. Canada had been growing faster than its Group of Seven (G7) peers as well as countries with higher birth rates such as India.

A survey cited by AFP, conducted last month by the Environics Institute on public attitudes toward immigration found that "for the first time in a quarter century, a clear majority of Canadians say there is too much immigration". Around 58 per cent of Canadians believe that the country is taking in too many immigrants, up 14 percentage points from 2023, the survey found.

In figures released last week, Abacus Data found that one of every two Canadians say immigration is harming the country, reported AFP.

Canada's immigration minister Marc Miller stressed the new plan's efforts to address what many Canadians refer to as a housing crisis. He predicted that revising immigration targets downwards will address the housing supply gap, reducing by 670,000 the number of homes Canada needs to build by 2027.