INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Canada will sharply lower the number of immigrants it allows into the country for the first time in years, marking a notable shift in policy
for the government as it tries to remain in power.Canada will bring in 395,000 new permanent residents in 2025, 380,000 in 2026 and 365,000
in 2027, down from 485,000 in 2024, according to a government source.The number of temporary residents, meanwhile, will decrease by about
30,000 to around 300,000 in 2025, the source said.The new targets were first reported by The National Post.Canada has long prided itself on
welcoming newcomers, but in recent years, the national debate around immigrants has shifted in part due to rising housing prices.Many
Canadians have been priced out of the housing market since interest rates started rising two years ago
prices.The issue has become one of the most contentious in Canadian politics, with a federal election due no later than October 2025
Polls show a growing share of the population thinks Canada has too many immigrants.There has been a backlash against newcomers and more
comment.The new immigration targets also mark a shift from the pandemic era when the government loosened rules on temporary residents to
help fill labor shortages
Last year, Canada had planned to bring in 500,000 new permanent residents in 2025 and the same amount in 2026
As of the second quarter of 2024, there were 2.8 million temporary residents, including workers and students, in Canada, according to
regulate immigration.Under Trudeau, Canadian immigration officials have approved fewer visas this year and border officials turned growing
to 5% over three years; it was 6.8% in April.It also capped the number of international students Canada will bring in and tightened the
rules on temporary foreign workers under a program that brings non-Canadians to the country to work on a temporary basis
The program has come under fire for suppressing wages and leaving workers vulnerable to abuse.Source: Reuters--Agencies
