Canada has cut the number of immigrants it accepts to curb its population growth

Canada announced a sharp cut in the number of immigrants entering the country in an effort to “slow population growth”, a decision that represents a marked change in policy from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government.

As part of the changes, the North American country will reduce the number of permanent residents to 395,000 in 2025, which is 21% less than the approximately 500,000 authorized so far,

Trudeau said his government “didn’t get the balance right” when it boosted immigration after the pandemic as the country tried to address labor shortages.

Support for the policy of openness is also declining. Concern rising among Canadians about influx of more immigrants, according to polls Its impact on issues such as housing and social services,

The measure is in addition to previously announced cuts in admissions of international students and temporary foreign workers.

This Thursday, Trudeau and Immigration Minister Mark Miller announced cuts that would limit the flow of foreigners to live in the country.

The goal is to set a lower goal of 365,000 new permanent residents by 2027, Miller said.

this lack Will stop population growth in Canada The next two years will give provinces time to strengthen their health programs and housing plans, Trudeau said.

Trudeau said that “Canadians are proud of our open immigration system”, which has helped boost the country’s economy and build diverse communities.

“Our immigration system has always been responsive and flexible,” Trudeau said. “We took action today because of difficult times as we try to emerge from the pandemic, address labor needs and population growth, we can’t get the balance right,

Almost the entire population of Canada increased last year -about 97%- According to federal data, the increase was due to immigration.

At the same time, Unemployment rate in the country has increased to 6.5%Among youth it is more than 14%.

Over the past half century, Canada has transformed into a multicultural nation.

with huge surface Inhabited by only 12 million people After the Second World War, the Canadian government promoted policies during the next decades to attract foreigners to settle in the country and expand its economy.

In addition to changing canada One of the most multicultural societies in the worldImmigration has been a major driver of growth by providing talent and labor to companies.

The new measure marks a change from decades of open immigration policies, in which Canada has relied on newcomers to meet population targets and fill labor shortages.

Since Trudeau was elected in 2015, his government has increased the annual permanent resident target from 272,000 to 485,000 this year. The biggest jump came in 2021 after the Covid-19 pandemic.

But Trudeau and his government Has been criticized for increasing immigration without strengthening social services or housing constructionAccording to economists, problems have been faced due to rapid population growth. Public services such as healthcare have also faced difficulties.

Earlier this month, a survey by the Environics Institute, which has closely tracked Canadians’ attitudes toward immigration since 1977, found that 58% of those interviewed now believe that immigration levels are too high.

According to the institute, the results show that public opinion on the issue has “changed from acceptable (if not valued) to problematic.”

Median home prices in Canada are approximately 700,000 Canadian dollars (US$517,400) and rents have increased by 22% over the past two years.

But the immigration cuts have also been criticized by activist groups such as the Immigrant Rights Network, which wrote in an open letter to Trudeau and Miller that Foreigners are being unfairly blamed for the problem,

“Immigrants are not responsible for the housing crisis, lack of employment, inadequate health care or other public services in Canada,” he said.

The group said these problems are “the result of decades of federal and provincial policies that have underfunded and privatized public services.”

For a few months now, Canada has started to implement some policy changes.

With respect to workers in Canadian companies, their employers have had to Reduce the number of temporary aliens or demonstrate that those positions cannot be filled by a permanent resident or Canadian citizen.

The areas with the most exceptions have been construction workers and health care workersBecause both have faced shortage of workers.

Earlier this year, Miller also established a Limiting the number of foreign students which Canada will accept over the next few years, resulting in a planned 35% decline in study permit approvals.

There were more than 800,000 foreign students living in Canada in 2022, up from 214,000 a decade earlier.

The move has also drawn criticism, particularly from some higher education institutions across the country, who worry that it will deter students from coming to Canada in favor of other destinations.

Some universities argued that setting the limit would mean a loss of revenue for their institutions.

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