Perched on a leather armchair, speaking directly to viewers, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently explained his government’s new plan to reduce immigration by roughly 20 per cent. In two videos — one in English and one in French — he outlined the broad strokes of Canadian immigration policy.The videos are undoubtedly damage control. Trudeau faces decreasing public support for his government’s immigration policy, calls to resign as party leader, and a federal election that the Liberals are on track to lose.Since the early 2000s, the Canadian public maintained a largely positive view on immigration. However, public opinion has recently shifted. Even though Canadians’ primary concerns remain the economy, housing and health care, when asked about immigration, a clear majority now say there is too much immigration. The exact cause of this shift remains unclear, but as demonstrated by Europe and the United States, we face potentially serious societal consequences.In 2022 and 2023, Canada saw the highest annual population growth rates since 1957. While migration has consistently driven Canada’s population growth since 1999, the growth during these two years was uniquely driven by temporary residents, such as migrant workers and international students.That same year, then Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Marco Mendicino, said that Canada’s “message to international students and graduates is simple: we don’t just want you to study here, we want you to stay here.”The active recruitment of both international students and workers is also at odds with what some call scapegoating by politicians in both the government and opposition.Since mid-2023, temporary residents — and international students in particular — have been repeatedly and explicitly linked to Canada’s housing affordability crisis. Although Canada is decreasing its temporary resident population through capping study permits and restricting work permits, two-step immigration remains a key part of Canada’s permanent residency selection system. Many temporary residents understandably expect to remain in Canada.Trudeau also claims that “far too many colleges and universities used international students to raise their bottom line…because they could charge these students tens of thousands of dollars more for the same degree.”tHowever, schools are not implicated equally. Recent international student growth was disproportionately concentrated in a handful of institutions. And one root problem is a much larger issue: declining public funding for higher education, across political parties, since the 1970s.Trudeau also fails to mention Canada’s 2014-19 and 2019-24 federal International Education Strategies, both of which stressed international students’ economic contributions.Given the current precarity of Canadian public higher education, now is the time to call for more resources and defend its value — not point fingers as a deflection technique.Finally, Trudeau tells viewers that “some temporary residents may turn to our asylum system when their visa expires as a shortcut to stay in Canada,” but “if their claim fails, they’ll be sent home.” This sounds straightforward. But it masks a complex concern: A large number of temporary residents were encouraged to choose Canada, asked to make significant sacrifices and told they could stay.In May, Trudeau called for a pathway to regularize undocumented migrants’ status. By August, the government said it has no plans to do so due to a lack of public support. Linking asylum claims to fraud risks undermining Canada’s humanitarian values at a time of decreased public trust in asylum claimants.Ultimately, the new immigration plan may not last long. If elected, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has made vague promises to link population growth to the “availability of jobs, homes, and health care” — though what this actually means is unclear. For now, Trudeau’s goal appears to be to prevent public attitudes on immigration from fracturing further and preserve his legacy. (ICE TORONTO)

Fonte notizia: https://www.canadianmanufacturing.com/