Canada still an 'open country' despite immigration cuts, says minister
CBC
Immigration Minister Marc Miller says Canada is still "an open country" after the Liberal government announced plans to cut the projected number of newcomers.
On Thursday, Miller and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the government is slashing the projected number of new permanent residents from 485,000 to 395,000 in 2025, with further cuts to 380,000 in 2026 and 365,000 in 2027.
In an interview with CBC's The House, Miller said that people "still see a lot of hope in coming to Canada" but "not everyone can come here or can have the privilege of becoming a permanent resident and then a Canadian."
"Canada is an open country," Miller told host Catherine Cullen. "I think we've realized importantly that we have to have a managed migration system that makes sense for everyone, including newcomers that we need to set up for success."
Under the previous plan released last November, Canada was to admit about 500,000 people in both 2025 and 2026.
The new immigration levels plan will cause a 0.2 per cent population decline over the next two years, a government press release said. It added the plan will also "reduce the housing supply gap by approximately 670,000 units" over the next few years.
The immigration announcement drew the attention of former U.S. president Donald Trump, who has promised mass deportations if he's elected in November.
In a social media post, Trump wrote that "even Justin Trudeau wants to close Canada's borders."
"We are the only 'stupid ones' that allow people, including hundreds of thousands of criminals, to freely come into the United States through our ridiculous 'open borders' policy," Trump added.
Experts have told CBC News that a crackdown in one jurisdiction can have the effect of pushing migrants into another. In this case, a mass U.S. deportation could move migrants into Canada.
When asked for his thoughts on Trump's post, Miller said that "obviously, you never want to see these decisions weaponized because I think this is the right decision. And I'll leave presidential politics up to the Americans to decide."
Miller also said the federal government will "be able to work with really any government or any president that is in place in the next couple of weeks."
Miller said the new reductions reflect discussions with economists and "with Canadians that we hear at the door."
"They expect us to have a controlled, managed migration plan that is ambitious, reflects what we need to do but also reflects the stress that flow has had on Canadians, on affordability," Miller said.
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