TORONTO, Canada – Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, announced a big change to immigration plans on Thursday, saying the country will lower the number of new immigrants to help ease issues with housing and social services. Canada has been welcoming large numbers of new residents to fill jobs after the pandemic, but now, Trudeau says it’s time to slow down.
“We didn’t quite get the balance right when we focused on bringing in people to help with jobs and grow the population,” Trudeau explained.
Starting in 2025, Canada will welcome fewer newcomers each year: 395,000 in 2025, 380,000 in 2026, and 365,000 in 2027. This is a drop from the 485,000 planned for 2024. They also hope people whose temporary visas are ending will leave as scheduled.
Many Canadians think too many new residents are arriving, which is affecting housing prices and availability. With these changes, the government hopes it will free up more housing and lessen the pressure on services, like healthcare and education. However, business groups are worried that fewer workers will be available to help industries grow.
Canada’s Chamber of Commerce warned that immigration has been a big reason the country avoided an economic slowdown. Reducing it could send mixed signals to international businesses.
For now, Trudeau’s team believes these changes will make housing and services more accessible for Canadians, while still welcoming newcomers.
