The federal government is poised to unveil significant changes to Canada’s immigration system on Thursday, October 24, 2024, according to multiple sources cited by Global News.
This announcement comes amid increasing pressure from approximately 30 backbench Liberal MPs calling for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation.
Sources indicate that the government plans to reduce the number of permanent residents accepted annually in the coming years and make adjustments to temporary immigration streams. Initially, Canada aimed to welcome 500,000 permanent residents in 2025, with a similar target for 2026. Since the Liberal government took office, the number of permanent residents has surged by 59%.
However, the new plan will gradually decrease the annual admissions to 365,000 by 2027, down from 485,000 in 2024, as reported by Reuters. Additionally, the number of temporary residents is expected to fall by approximately 30,000, reaching around 300,000 in 2025.
Both Trudeau and Immigration Minister Marc Miller have hinted at these significant changes during a recent Liberal cabinet retreat. “We’re examining various streams to ensure that Canada continues to be supportive of immigration as we move forward,” Trudeau stated on August 28.
Currently, there are over 2.5 million temporary residents in Canada, representing 6.2% of the population. Earlier this year, Miller noted the government’s intention to reduce this figure to five percent.
Migrant advocates have criticized the proposed changes. Syed Hussan, spokesperson for the Migrant Rights Network Secretariat, described it as “one of the most egregious rollbacks of migrant rights in Canadian history,” emphasizing that cutting permanent residency numbers would force many migrants to remain in temporary status or become undocumented, further exposing them to exploitative work conditions.