Levels of immigration to Canada will not dip below 300,000 new arrivals per year, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Ahmed Hussen, has confirmed. The period of July 2015 to July 2016 saw a historic high of 320,932 new arrivals to Canada. The target for 2017 has been set at 300,000, a figure Hussen called “the baseline for admissions going forward.”
“Although we don’t know what next year’s levels will be, I can tell you they will not be below 300,000,” he said, adding that, “Notably the 2017 300,000 landings plan increased the share of economic admissions from the previous year. This is a reflection of our commitment to the idea that immigration continues to be a key ingredient to our economic future as a country.”
Speaking at a conference on June 10, 2017, Hussen reaffirmed his department’s commitment to welcoming newcomers, and removing obstacles to citizenship for permanent residents. “We want more permanent residents — in fact, we want all permanent residents, if possible — to become Canadians,” he emphasized.
He also highlighted several recent innovations within his department, intended to improve both the economic integration of new immigrants, and the reuniting of families in Canada.