(Ottawa) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assures us that the arrival of a record number of immigrants in the country over the next few years will be done in an “orderly and responsible” manner. Because he is determined that Canadians maintain their openness to immigration – an undeniable economic asset for the country at a time when the labor shortage is affecting essentially all sectors.
Canada has set itself the goal of welcoming 500,000 newcomers a year from 2025, an ambitious policy that could, however, put pressure on housing and social programs such as health and education, recognized the first minister.
The federal government plans to welcome 465,000 immigrants in 2023 and another 485,000 in 2024. In three years, therefore, Canada expects the arrival of approximately 1.4 million newcomers.
In an interview with The Press a few days ago, Mr. Trudeau said that the new immigration thresholds had not been established lightly.
Not only did we think about that [les pressions sur le logement et les programmes sociaux], but it is partly because of this that we want to increase the immigration thresholds. We need it.
Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
“There is a shortage of construction workers. There is a shortage of workers in the health sector. There is a shortage of childcare workers. We know that there is a labor shortage. I cannot go to the regions of Quebec or elsewhere without being told about a labor shortage. It’s not just big business. It is also the restaurant which must close on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday because it does not have enough employees, ”he illustrated.
He specified that the categories of immigrants that will be prioritized will aim to fill the many vacant positions in the key sectors of the economy.
“Yes, there is a housing shortage. That’s why we have to think carefully about how to balance and bring in the right categories of immigrants. But welcoming people to work in construction, to work in the service sector and in other sectors, yes, that’s what we need. We have the potential to do that,” he said.
Incentives
Continuing his momentum, Mr. Trudeau argued that one of the reasons that fuels inflation is precisely the shortage of workers. “It’s a problem partly because you can’t meet the demand in the economy. So we have to increase the supply. And for that, we have to get more people to work. »
To prevent pressure on housing from being even greater in large urban centers such as Montreal, Toronto, Calgary or Vancouver, the federal government is examining the measures that could be offered to newcomers to encourage them to settle in the regions.
In the regions, there is less housing shortage, there is more capacity to build it. We have employment needs. You can direct people without forcing them. People will go where there are opportunities. That’s what we’re working on.
Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
In its latest budget, the Trudeau government promised to tackle the housing shortage by injecting $10 billion over five years to double housing construction over the next decade and facilitate home ownership. On average, about 200,000 dwellings of all types are built per year. To meet housing needs, Canada must absolutely double the annual rate of construction.
Attract talent
According to the Prime Minister, an ambitious immigration policy gives Canada a major advantage in attracting foreign talent.
“It’s not just a matter of avoiding problems like this. One of my main priorities is to recognize that in Canada and in Quebec, we have an advantage: people are open to immigration in general. People know that it is a source of economic growth and a source of wealth for the community. In Quebec, these people are expected to be able to speak French or learn it quickly,” he noted.
This openness is somewhat taken for granted in Canada. When I travel around the world, I see how different countries have the same labor shortage challenges as we do, but at the same time their population and their political dynamics fuel parties that are against the immigration in a dogmatic way.
Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
“It’s not a problem we have here. One of the things that will protect that advantage is making sure people have confidence that it’s going to be done in a responsible, orderly, and predictable way. It’s going to bring challenges, but it’s going to allow you to solve so many others. »
As for asylum seekers who enter the country irregularly via Roxham Road, Mr. Trudeau reiterated that talks with the United States were continuing to modify the Safe Third Country Agreement.
“The top priority will be to resolve this situation because we are no longer just talking about people crossing to Canada. Now, these are people crossing to the United States. It becomes more motivating for the Americans to settle this file than when it was just in one direction. Conversations with the Americans are progressing. We are optimistic that we will be able to achieve something good. »
Trudeau does not intend to read Morneau’s book
Justin Trudeau has not read the book just published by his former finance minister Bill Morneau. And he has no intention of reading it either. In this book published only in English (Where To from Here – A Path to Canadian Prosperity) last week, Mr. Morneau skinned his former boss, accusing him of having little interest in the economy and of giving too much importance to image to the detriment of substance. “When you leave politics, you have a lot of time for reflection and introspection. He took the time to do it. I still have too many things to do. I don’t want to spend too much time on this. But I wish him well,” he said. Bill Morneau stepped down as finance minister in August 2020 after serving five years in the Trudeau government. “We did some good things together. We have been able to massively reduce poverty in Canada. […] I hope it did him good to write this book. But I have work to do. »