Despite travel bans, Canada expects to increase immigration targets past this year.
Restrictions on travel caused a decline in the number of new permanent residents in Canada. Canada is now positive about raising immigration levels to a new high past 2020.
Bloomberg reports that Canada’s Minister for Immigration, Marco Mendicino, isn’t letting Covid-19 restrictions affect government immigration targets for the following three-year levels plan.
Just days before Canada’s lockdown, Mendicino announced that Canada would welcome more than one million immigrants by 2022. The number of new permanent residents declined by about 64% this August, as the Canadian border was closed on March 18 for non-mandatory trips.
“Mendicino’s office has consulted with various business, labor and settlement organizations to gauge the current demand for immigration”
Bloomberg
Canada has previous experience of regulating immigration to fill gaps in the labor market and promote population growth. Mendicino has previously stated that post-coronavirus immigration will be a permanent asset. The Cabinet meeting on immigration highlights Canada’s immigration goals in the forthcoming years.
Travel restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus have prevented the influx of potential newcomers. Canada was expected to accept 341,000 new immigrants this year yet, only about 128,000 new permanent residents arrived between January and August 2020.
“A high unemployment rate that looks likely to persist and the fact Trudeau’s minority government must rely on support from opposition political parties to pass legislation, pose additional challenges”
Bloomberg
According to Andrew Agopovicic, an economist at the Royal Bank of Canada told Bloomberg, the number of new permanent residents will only increase about 70 percent of the target. The fall in immigration is also having a significant impact on the real estate market.
Marco Mendicino must provide the Parliament with a new multi-year immigration plan before November 1, 2020.
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