Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government aims to limit the number of temporary people moving to the country temporarily, stating that the situation needs to be managed carefully.
“Whether it’s temporary foreign workers or whether it’s international students in particular, that have grown at a rate far beyond what Canada has been able to absorb,” Trudeau said at a housing announcement in Dartmouth, N.S.
“For example, in 2017, two per cent of Canada’s population consisted of temporary immigrants. Now we’re at 7.5 per cent of our population made up of temporary immigrants. That’s something we need to regain control of.”
The prime minister then mentioned that this is causing mental health challenges for international students and that more businesses are relying on temporary foreign workers, leading to lower wages in some sectors.
“We want to decrease those numbers. It’s a responsible approach to immigration that continues to prioritize our permanent residents, but also imposes stricter limits on temporary immigration, which has created so much pressure in our communities,” Trudeau concluded.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller stated on March 21 Ottawa would set targets for temporary residents allowed into Canada to ensure “sustainable” growth in the number of temporary residents entering the nation. Over the next three years, Miller said the goal is to reduce the amount of temporary residents to five per cent of Canada’s population.
For permanent residents, Canada has a target of 485,000 new immigrants, increasing to 500,000 in both 2025 and 2026.
In their last immigration plan update, the government said there are plans to “recalibrate” the number of temporary admissions to Canada in order to ensure the system is sustainable.
In January, Miller announced a cap on student visa admissions to Canada at 360,000 permits, a 35 per cent decrease from 2023.
More to come
— with files from Global News’ Aaron D’Andrea
