Canada, once known to value newcomers, recently announced a sharp cut in the number of immigrants it allows into the country in an effort to “pause population growth”. This marked a notable shift in policy for the Justin Trudeau government. In one of the “most stringent immigration cutbacks yet”, Trudeau and Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced last year a 21% reduction of permanent residents accepted into the country in 2025.

For decades, Canada’s immigration policies were tailored to boost its population, fill labour gaps and settle refugees fleeing conflict from around the world, BBC reported. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose government relied heavily on ambitious immigration targets to drive economic growth, admitted earlier this year that the approach had been a “mistake”.

Canadian journalist Daniel Bordman told news agency ANI in an interview that after Trudeau resigned as the PM, Canada will be like how it used to be 10 years back in policies related to immigration.