By lowering targets, Canada can ensure a positive outlook towards immigration
When people feel their country has control over immigration, they tend to hold more positive views.
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The Government of Canada recently announced plans to lower immigration targets for the next three years. The new targets are 395,000 new permanent residents for 2025, 380,000 for 2026, and 365,000 for 2027.
This is a reduction of around 20% and more compared to the previous targets of 500,000 immigrants per year and the roughly 472,000 permanent immigrants who arrived in 2023. The plan will also reduce the number of temporary residents including international students and foreign workers who come to Canada.
The government stated these reductions aim to pause short-term population growth. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada argues that this will help to alleviate pressures on housing, infrastructure and social services as part of a broader plan for well-managed, sustainable growth in the long term.
The plan to reduce immigration to Canada has sparked significant debate, with particular criticism from business leaders.
However, as researchers studying public attitudes toward immigrants and immigration, we argue that these cuts were essential. In particular, they were necessary to preserve Canadians’ positive attitudes toward immigrants, maintain public support for the immigration system and ensure its continued strengths and benefits for the country.
Immigrants and immigration
International survey data suggest that globally, Canada has a reputation for having more positive attitudes toward immigrants and immigration than citizens in other countries.
In a...
