Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has said that the government is looking to bring “under control” the number of temporary immigrants entering the country.
“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 was quoted as saying by Vancouver Sun.
“To give an example, in 2017, 2% of Canada’s population was made up of temporary immigrants. Now we’re at 7.5% of our population comprised of temporary immigrants. That’s something we need to get back under control,” he added.
The prime minister noted that this has resulted in businesses relying on temporary foreign workers, resulting in pushing down wages in some sectors.
On March 21, immigration minister Marc Miller said that Ottawa would control the number of temporary workers entering the country and the goal is to reduce the amount of temporary residents to 5% of Canada’s population.
In January, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, a government department announced that it will implement an intake cap on the number of applications accepted for study permits for international students. It is expected to result in a reduction of 35% this year as compared with 2023.
In recent years, Canada has reported a major rise in international students, foreign workers and temporary residents as Trudeau relied on immigration to drive economic growth and plug labour gaps.
Trudeau’s party has come under intense political pressure for its immigration policies, with critics arguing they have exacerbated a housing crunch. Critics say this had led to a severe impact on sectors like education and healthcare, which have not been able to keep up with population growth.
According to recent polls, most Canadians have felt that immigration levels are too high and are not sustainable. In 2022, Canada welcomed around one million new temporary and permanent immigrants.
