Canada has announced cuts in the number of immigrants it allows into the country after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he “didn’t get the balance right.”
At a news conference in Ottawa, Trudeau took the unusual step of acknowledging his policies had placed a strain on the economy.
He said Canada needed to “pause population growth and let our economy catch up,” adding that while immigration was “essential” for Canada’s future, it must be controlled and sustainable.
Under the new plan, the target number of permanent residents arriving in Canada in 2025 will be reduced by 21%, from 500,000 to 395,000.
The long-term goal is to reduce that number to 365,000 new permanent residents by 2027.
Slowing down population growth
Canada’s immigration policy is often offered up as a model for other countries, with foreign-born people making up nearly a quarter of its population, according to data from the Council on Foreign Relations.
“Immigrants have helped the country counter …