In a significant shift in its immigration strategy, Canada has announced a reduction in the number of new permanent resident it plans to welcome in the coming years. According to government sources cited by Reuters, Canada will decrease its immigration targets from 485,000 new permanent residents in 2024 to 395,000 in 2025. Further reductions are planned for 380,000 in 2026 and 365,000 by 2027. This marks the first instance in several years where Canadian immigration goals have been scaled back.
Cutback on Temporary Residents
Projections for temporary residents also see a decline, with targets set at 300,000 for 2025, which is a reduction of 30,000 from previous levels. The National Post initially reported these policy changes.
Debate Over Immigration and Housing
Canada has long been lauded for its welcoming stance towards immigrants. However, recent national debates have emerged, focusing on the rising costs of housing. With interest rates climbing over the past two years, housing affordability has become a critical issue for many Canadians. A rapid increase in immigrant numbers has led to record levels of demand for housing, further inflating prices.
Political Dynamics and Public Sentiment
As Canada approaches a federal election anticipated by October 2025, immigration remains a hot-button political issue. Public sentiment seems to be evolving with an increasing number of Canadians voicing concerns over current immigration levels. Concurrently, reports of hate crimes against visible minorities have escalated, as noted by community advocates.
Criticism from Migrant Advocates
The government’s revised approach to immigration has drawn criticism from migrant advocates. Syed Hussan of the Migrant Rights Network Secretariat remarked to Reuters that this decision represents “one of the most egregious rollbacks of migrant rights in Canadian history.” He argued that reducing permanent resident quotas forces migrants to remain temporary or become undocumented, pushing them into more exploitative work environments.
Policy Shift from Pandemic-Era Strategies
This updated immigration strategy is a departure from pandemic-era policies when Canada relaxed rules on temporary residents to mitigate labor shortages. The government’s earlier ambition was to receive 500,000 new permanent residents annually by both 2025 and 2026.
Current Context and Government Outlook
Statistics Canada reported that as of Q2 2024, there were around 2.8 million temporary residents residing in Canada, including both students and workers. In an August interview with Immigration Minister Marc Miller emphasized that “Canadians want a system that is not out of control.” This policy development occurs as Prime Minister Trudeau’s Liberal government contends with declining poll ratings and internal party pressures.
Canada aims to reduce the proportion of temporary residents from their current rate of 6.8% recorded in April to just 5% over the next three years. New policy measures include tighter restrictions on international students and stricter regulations for the temporary foreign worker program.
