Canadian Government Announces Sharp Immigration Cuts

Photo Credit: Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

The Canadian federal government announced sharp cuts in the number of permanent residents it will admit in coming years on Oct. 24.

Initially, Canada was set to admit about 500,000 people in both 2025 and 2026. Following the immigration cuts, the number of new permanent residents will fall to 395,000 in 2025; 380,000 in 2026; and 365,000 in 2027. The new policy aims to address housing and healthcare concerns arising from a growing population.

The cuts are expected to reduce the housing supply gap by approximately 670,000 units and cause a 0.2 per cent population decline over the next two years, giving provinces time to build new housing stock. 

“Our immigration system has always been responsible and it has always been flexible,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a public announcement. “We are acting today because of the tumultuous times as we emerged from the pandemic, between addressing labor needs and maintaining population growth, we didn’t get the balance quite right.”

A poll by the Environics Institute found that 58 per cent of Canadians feel that immigration levels are too high, and blame the federal government for increasing immigration without addressing the resulting demand for public services and housing, which has been forewarned by economists.

Minister of Immigration Mark Miller told CBC’s The House that people "still see a lot of hope in coming to Canada." However, he continued that "not everyone can come here, or can have the privilege of becoming a permanent resident and then a Canadian."

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre told reporters that Trudeau’s new policy has come after years of inaction.

“Trudeau's last-minute pre-election reversal cannot be believed; he can't fix the immigration system that he broke,” Poilievre said to CTV news. 

Similarly, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said to CTV news that a “minor tweak of 20 per cent” won’t solve the “serious challenges” facing Canadians.