Canada plans to significantly reduce immigration limits starting next year. On October 24, 2024, the Canadian authorities announced a serious decrease in the number of immigrants they are willing to let into the country.
This was a significant change in the course of policy pursued by the Government of Justin Trudeau, the current Prime Minister.
What will change in Canada’s immigration policy in 2025
As a result of this decision, Canada will accept 21% fewer permanent residents in 2025 – the number of migrants will decrease from the previously planned 500,000 to 395,000.
The Prime Minister noted that his administration had created the wrong balance – they purposefully increased the flow of migrants after the pandemic to fill the shortage of workers in the labor market. Trudeau also stressed that the new reduction in immigration will help stop demographic growth for the next two years. It is very important to do this in order to give time to the provinces, which will be able to sufficiently develop their health and housing systems.
These changes complement the already announced reductions in quotas for international students and temporary labor.
The reasons for the decrease in the number of migrants
Statistics show that in 2023, about 97% of the growth in the number of Canadian residents was due to migrants. At the same time, the unemployment rate in the country reached 6.5% is on the rise, and among young people it turned out to be above 14%.
This strategic step is a departure from the previous policy of open borders, which focused on the admission of a large number of foreigners. Trudeau and his government have been criticized over the years for adopting such policies without improving infrastructure.
Economists pointed out that due to the rapid demographic growth, the housing market and the health care system are under heavy pressure. Because of this, real estate and rental prices are rising and the quality of healthcare is beginning to suffer.
Support for immigration among the Canadian population
Support for the policy of open immigration among the Canadian population is decreasing: polls show that 58% of citizens believe that the immigration flow is excessive. Such data was provided by the Environment Institute of Canada, which has been conducting public opinion polls since 1977.
At the same time, human rights organizations say that it is wrong to blame migrants for infrastructure problems. For example, the Migrant Rights Network wrote an open letter to Trudeau and Miller, in which they wrote that the lack of housing and jobs is not the fault of migrants, but the problem of decades–old state and regional policies that have led to underfunding and privatization of public services.
