Canada plans to reduce temporary residents, cap future intake
- PM Justin Trudeau’s government is under pressure for its immigration policies, as the country faces a housing crunch and stretched health and education services
- The new plan would see a 20 per cent cut in temporary residents over 3 years
Canada plans to reduce its temporary residents and set a cap on temporary immigration for the first time ever, Immigration Minister Marc Miller said on Thursday, the latest government effort to address a housing shortage and stretched essential services.
In recent years Canada has seen a sharp rise in international students, foreign workers and other temporary residents who come to the country on time-limited visas as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government relied on immigration to drive economic growth and plug labour gaps.
But the Liberal government has also come under political pressure for its immigration policies, with critics arguing they have exacerbated a housing crunch.
Some services provided by the provinces, such as education and healthcare, are also struggling to keep up with population growth.
The government wants to reduce temporary residents to 5 per cent of the total population over the next three years from 6.5 per cent in 2023, Miller said.