Ottawa plans to meet its immigration goals

The Trudeau government plans to slow down its immigration strategy. A group of ministers is debating whether to confirm or lower the annual target for new permanent residents in Canada in 2026.

Amidst the housing crisis, the thorny issue of immigration limits is the subject of delicate discussions around the Cabinet table these days.

According to several government sources, the confirmation of the immigration target for 2026 received circumstantial support Important During discussions on this in the cabinet last week. Therefore, the 2026 target will remain the same as in 2025, at 500,000 new permanent residents per year. If the option comes to fruition, it would mark a pause in the government’s increasing immigration targets, which have gradually grown in recent years.

Opinions are divided on the matter. Around the table, ministers also discussed the option of lowering the target below 500,000. The final decision is yet to be made. It will be scrutinized by a cabinet committee and may be brought back to the cabinet next Tuesday. A formal notification for this should be issued on November 1.

In 2022, Canada welcomed more than 431,000 new permanent residents, a record.

A delicate balance

The housing crisis has shed new light on the issue of immigration in the country. Economists believe Ottawa should lower immigration targets while residential construction catches up with demand in the country. However, at the same time, the business community is calling for more immigrants to address labor shortages.

Around the Cabinet table, opinions differ. Some argue for reductions, while others support the status quo. According to some sources, an increase in targets may not be one of the options.

We have to decide how not to tarnish the reputation of the Liberal Party [en matière d’immigration et d’accueil]and maintaining the confidence of CanadiansAn elected official familiar with the discussions told us.

At the same time, the elected official admits it’s difficult to envision an increase, given the housing shortage plaguing the country and the ability of provinces to coordinate and provide all services to new arrivals. We are not going to go beyond what we have already promised.

It has to be done right. We are not blind: it needs a home, it needs services.

According to another Liberal source, the government needs to find a balance to keep the trust of Canadians. People should be open to immigrationThis source said. We were very generousshe adds.

For this article, Radio-Canada consulted half a dozen Liberal elected officials.

Last August, in one of his first interviews as immigration minister, Mark Miller outright rejected the idea of ​​lowering his government’s reception targets. I don’t see a scenario that reduces themHe pointed out in an interview with BNN Bloomberg. The requirements are very high, he announced, citing labor shortages and an aging population. However, he did not rule out the idea of ​​keeping them at their current level or increasing them.

French-speaking destinations

The government wants to encourage the influx of French-speaking immigrants to slow the decline of minority language communities outside Quebec. A new version of the Official Languages ​​Act adopted earlier this year provides for the establishment of a francophone immigration policy to ensure the survival of these communities.

According to our information, a scenario is being discussed that aims to gradually increase the target of French-speaking immigration outside of Quebec. The last target of 4.4% was achieved this year.

The Federation of Francophone and Acadian Communities (FCFA) calls for the restoration of the population weight of French-speaking minority communities to be set at 12% by 2024 and 20% by 2036.

In mid-October, New Brunswick MP René Arsenault assured that his government had heard the fears of French-speaking communities outside Quebec. I am sure and confident that Ministers have a clear understanding of their obligations under the new Official Languages ​​Act.He declared.

Following the modernization of the law, Ottawa expressed its desire to restore the population weight of French-speaking minority communities to the 1971 level, i.e. 6.1%.