Trudeau Liberals seek to raise immigration levels despite pandemic

Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino is looking to accept 351,000 new immigrants to Canada in 2021

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The Liberal government is seeking to bring in a record number of immigrants in 2021 despite coronavirus-related travel restrictions, Bloomberg News is reporting.

According to two sources familiar with the matter, Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino is looking to accept 351,000 new immigrants to Canada in 2021, the highest number in Canadian history. This is to increase to 361,000 in 2022.

However, these numbers can be viewed with skepticism given the government's interest in bringing in 341,000 immigrants in 2020, a number which the government has not come close to achieving with only two and a half months left in the year.

Immigration to Canada has slowed in the past year due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic as restrictions on travel make it more difficult to enter the country. In the first eight months of 2020, less than 130,000 immigrants came to Canada, and even if the rate of immigration were to return to pre-pandemic levels, the government would still fall short of their target by over 100,000 immigrants.

The drop in immigration has had major effects on the Canadian economy, with condominium and apartment prices declining in Toronto due in part to the lack of new arrivals to fill them.

The restrictions have also negatively impacted immigrants seeking to start a new life in Canada. Even as flights to and from the outside world have resumed, many prospective immigrants have found that their travel documents have not been renewed, leaving them stranded.

Other prospective immigrants have found the immigration website to full of glitches and misleading information. The website told one prospective immigrant from India, Prashant Gupta, that priority was given to those who already had a flight to Canada, leading him to purchase one to boost his chances. However, his application still never made it through and he was forced to cancel his flight.

Others have suggested that prospective immigrants to Canada may be delaying their own departure until the coronavirus pandemic is over.

Mendicino is expected to formally announce new immigration targets by November 1.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Sign in to comment

Comments

Powered by StructureCMS™ Comments

Join and support independent free thinkers!

We’re independent and can’t be cancelled. The establishment media is increasingly dedicated to divisive cancel culture, corporate wokeism, and political correctness, all while covering up corruption from the corridors of power. The need for fact-based journalism and thoughtful analysis has never been greater. When you support The Post Millennial, you support freedom of the press at a time when it's under direct attack. Join the ranks of independent, free thinkers by supporting us today for as little as $1.

Support The Post Millennial

Remind me next month

To find out what personal data we collect and how we use it, please visit our Privacy Policy

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
ADVERTISEMENT
© 2024 The Post Millennial, Privacy Policy