Canada will incorporate planning for housing, healthcare and other services into its immigration strategy, the minister of ImmigrationMarc Miller, after recording its largest population increase in almost seven decades.
The Canadian Statistics Institute has reported that the population grew by 2.9% in the 12 months to July 1, 2023, to more than 40 million.
“We need to better align immigration program systems and services with Canada’s labor market,” Miller told reporters. “This is what we have heard constantly from interested parties and from all those (…) who talk to us daily about their needs.”
For example, construction and healthcare have been beset by labor shortages in recent years.
The Canadian government is facing pressure to address concerns about the annual immigration target of some 500,000 permanent residents by 2025, amid an affordable housing crisis and rising cost of living. Canada’s goal for this year is 465,000.
One of the keys to the new strategy is to accelerate permit processing services for international students at institutions with better housing, services and other support, according to the Ministry.
The new strategy is important so Canada can quickly adapt and respond sustainably to growing global humanitarian crises, Miller added.
Source: Reuters
Source: Gestion
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