Canada is set to significantly reduce the number of immigrants it allows into the country. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that after years of constant increases in immigration numbers, the government “didn’t get the balance quite right.”
The country’s federal government plans to lower its annual immigration targets. The new targets will decrease from 485,000 this year to approximately 395,000 in 2025, 380,000 in 2026, and 365,000 in 2027.
Last month, the country’s Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced cuts to immigration quotas, reducing student visas and capping temporary foreign workers for businesses.
Canada’s government has been facing criticism because of the influx of immigrants, as the country’s unemployment rate remains high —at around 6.5%. Canada’s economy is creating fewer jobs, and for temporary residents the unemployment rate sits at around 14%.
Critics of Canada’s high immigration numbers argue that the influx of new immigrants has increased demand for housing and health care, leaving many Canadian cities grappling with a housing affordability crisis and overwhelmed health care systems.
Trudeau’s announcement comes one day after Canadian news media reported that members of his Liberal Party presented him with a letter calling on him to resign as prime minister.
