While support for current immigration targets is plummeting, the federal Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Marc Miller, maintains that he does not “see a scenario where we would reduce the levels [d’immigration] “.
However, the minister is committed to improving the immigration system. The latter is due to unveil “the report on the strategic review of immigration and the plan to improve Canada’s immigration system” in Ottawa this afternoon.
And that’s not all. The minister must also unveil on Wednesday the new 2024-2026 Immigration Levels Plan, i.e. the objectives for the number of permanent residents that Canada intends to welcome over the next three years.
He has not yet commented on a possible capping or an increase in targets.
These announcements come at a time when the proportion of Canadians likely to say that there are too many immigrants in the country has jumped by 17 percentage points. According to this recent survey, some 27% of Canadians considered last year that “Canada welcomes too many immigrants”. This year, they are 44%.
Minister Miller, however, stressed the need to adopt a cautious approach in interpreting this data. “This is not a plea against immigration,” he said, “but rather a plea for us to organize ourselves in a way that we have not done in the past. »
“We cannot achieve our ambitious plan for construction, whether in housing or other infrastructure, without newcomers who are specialized in construction,” he added.
The Minister of Public Services and Supply, Jean-Yves Duclos, said he did not fear a “backlash” on the issue. “Canadians, including Quebecers, have always wanted more people to come to the country to help us develop,” he said Tuesday.
The Quebec MP added that Quebecers are even more in favor of immigration than other Canadians, but “want it to be done in a reasonable manner, taking into account the pressures that too much immigration could bring on the system health and access to housing.
Asked whether ministers are feeling pressure to cap immigration levels, Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez said “a lot of discussion” is currently taking place about immigration retention capacities. “We must ensure that we collaborate with the provinces so that they are able [de les retenir] “, he said on Tuesday.
More details will follow.