The Canadian Government Confirms There Are No Plans to Decrease Immigration Levels

Annually in late autumn, the Government of Canada tables its immigration plans for the upcoming year. These plans include target numbers for various types of immigration. Some years place a greater emphasis on bringing in refugees, while other years focus on attracting foreign skilled workers. Since 2015, both these classes have been a major focus, with Canada welcoming a record number of migrants. And since immigration in Canada contributes to Canadian society and the economy, this increase in immigration levels is beneficial to Canada.

Autumn Immigration Updates

With autumn fast approaching, Canada’s Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen recently stated that Canada’s immigration levels won’t drop in 2018 from the record numbers of 2016 and 2017. The government’s target immigration number was 300,000 for both 2016 and 2017. This number now appears to be the baseline target number for immigration in Canada.

While sticking to this baseline, the numbers allotted for each immigration class changes year-to-year depending on Canada’s immigration needs and goals. In 2016, Canada allocated a larger number for refugee resettlement due to the Syrian refugee crisis, while 2017 had a greater target number for economic immigration, most notably for the growing information technology industry in Canada.

Critics of Immigration in Canada

Although Hussen has yet to table 2018 target immigration numbers, he has hinted that they won’t decrease, which leaves room to hope that they may even increase.

Some critics of the government’s immigration policy have voiced concerns, especially in light of growing anti-immigration sentiment rising in the U.S., Europe, and (increasingly) in Canada. Immigration in Canada has become somewhat of a controversial subject due to this year’s record number of asylum seekers crossing into Canada at unofficial borders.  However, there is still support from many across the country for maintaining and even increasing our immigration targets.

Security Screening Process

The truth is that Canada’s immigration system is anything but lax. In fact, the system is quite stringent with a thorough screening process. While many asylum seekers have been able to walk across Canada’s borders, law enforcement officers do arrest these asylum seekers and screen them for security purposes before their claims are processed.

All immigration applicants are screened for a number of security factors prior to settlement in Canada. These include:

  • Criminal record checks;
  • Health information;
  • Records of human rights violations; and
  • Potential terror links or terrorism charges

Canadian immigration officials put the security of Canadians first, despite what some might think.

Canada’s target immigration numbers benefit Canadian society and the economy, while also upholding Canada’s responsibility to protect refugees. As more newcomers contribute to Canadian society with their skills and diversity, Canada will continue to prosper. In the meantime, other countries may miss out on the numerous benefits of immigration.