How Canada soured on immigration

For decades, Canada has promoted itself as a welcoming nation for newcomers, implementing immigration policies designed to increase its population, address labor shortages, and provide refuge for those fleeing conflict around the globe. However, recently, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced plans to significantly reduce the number of immigrants allowed into the country. This shift comes amid rising public concerns over limited access to social services, skyrocketing living costs, and unaffordable housing.

This marks a significant change for both Canada and Trudeau, who campaigned in 2015 on a platform celebrating multiculturalism as a vital component of Canadian identity. Up until now, his administration has relied on ambitious immigration targets to drive economic growth. Facing criticism and declining approval ratings, Trudeau acknowledged that his government underestimated the situation, stating that Canada needs to “stabilize” its population growth to ensure public infrastructure can keep pace.

In a recent announcement, Trudeau, alongside Immigration Minister Marc Miller, revealed their most stringent immigration cuts yet—a 21% reduction in the number of permanent residents accepted in 2025. This decision follows previous reductions in Canada’s temporary resident programs, which include temporary foreign workers and international students.

In explaining this policy shift, Trudeau asserted that “Canadians are justifiably proud” of their immigration system. He emphasized its role in making the economy the envy of the world and fostering strong, diverse communities. However, he also admitted that his government “didn’t get the balance quite right” by allowing a record influx of temporary residents after the COVID-19 pandemic to alleviate labor shortages, underscoring the need to stabilize Canada’s immigration system.

This announcement comes at a time when public support for immigration in Canada has been waning. A September poll from the Environics Institute, which has tracked Canadian attitudes toward immigration since 1977, revealed that for the first time in 25 years, a majority of respondents believe that there is too much immigration. The Institute attributed this shift in sentiment primarily to concerns about limited housing, but also highlighted the economy, overpopulation, and management of the immigration system as significant factors.

In an October newsletter, David Coletto, a pollster at Abacus Data, remarked that the notion of a “consensus around immigration cracking” is an understatement. He anticipates it will become one of the foremost issues in federal and provincial politics in the coming year.

Canada has historically been welcoming to immigrants, holding a strong reputation as a global leader in refugee resettlement over the past 50 years. The Canadian Multiculturalism Act, enacted in 1988, recognizes diversity as a key aspect of the nation’s identity and is protected by the constitution. Since the late 1990s, Canadian attitudes have generally favored immigration, with a Pew Research report in 2019 indicating that Canada held the most positive view of immigration among the top ten migrant destination countries.

Experts point out that many immigrants are part of Canada’s electorate, which tends to dissuade major political parties from adopting an anti-immigration stance. However, recent years have seen a notable shift in public sentiment, largely due to a surge in temporary residents. According to the Canadian Bureau for International Education, the number of international students in Canada grew nearly 30% from 2022 to 2023, while government data shows the number of temporary foreign workers has doubled over the last five years.

Compounding concerns about the integrity of Canada’s immigration system has been a sense of mismanagement by the government. A significant spike in asylum claims followed Canada’s 2016 elimination of visa requirements for tourists from Mexico, prompting the government to reinstate those visa restrictions earlier this year. Reports have also surfaced about international students using their temporary visas to apply for permanent asylum, an alarming trend noted by Minister Miller.

Professor Michael Donnelly from the University of Toronto highlights that these incidents have contributed to a perception of government ineptitude in controlling immigration flows. Many Canadians are connecting the influx of newcomers with the ongoing housing crisis, which has seen rents and home prices soar due to a shortage of available housing.

While there has been some racist discourse surrounding immigration, Professor Donnelly emphasizes that the changing attitudes in Canada differ from the sentiments prevalent in European nations and the United States. Instead, they reflect a public desire for tighter immigration controls. He concluded that the Trudeau government is working to project an image of having the situation “under control.”