Canada's growth engine stalls: Immigration curbs bring national population rise to zero
Canada's population growth has come to a halt as the latest government data revealed that only 20,107 people were added in the first quarter of the year, which reflects that there was no percentage change to quarterly population growth, compared with an average of 0.3% over the past decade, as reported by Financial Post.
A Historic Slowdown
The country's low population growth in the first quarter marks the slowest quarterly rate since comparable records began in 1946, apart from the pandemic year, according to the report.
Canada's Temporary Residents No Longer Driving the Boom
This comes after Canada's population expansion skyrocketed for years, fueled primarily by massive temporary residents, particularly foreign students, as per the Financial Post. They contributed to the nation expanding at rates rivalling many African nations after the pandemic, according to the report. But the government's move to crack down on immigration policies and attempts to cut back on temporary residents has stalled that momentum, as per the report.
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Statistics Canada's data showed that the number of temporary residents dropped to about 3 million, which is 7.1% of the total population, compared with the record high of 7.4% last year, as reported by the Financial Post. This is the biggest decline in temporary residents for the country on record, as per the report.
While, the biggest drop in non-permanent residents came from foreign students, with most decline occurring in Ontario and British Columbia, the two provinces recorded the largest quarterly losses in population since data collection began in 1951, Financial Post reported.
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Mark Carney's Immigration Approach
According to the report, the latest population growth data comes after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had promised to bring immigration rates to 'sustainable levels." While, his predecessor, Justin Trudeau, had already started curbing new arrivals last year, after post-pandemic influxes overwhelmed the country's capacity to absorb them, Financial Post reported.
Asylum Claims Hit Record High
However, the number of asylum claimants in Canada rose for a 13th consecutive quarter, reaching a record high of 470,029 people, as per the report. But to tackle this issue, Carney's government has introduced a bill with tougher rules on asylum claims, in addition to limits already in place on foreign students and workers, which lawmakers are set to debate the legislation on Wednesday, reported the Financial Post.
FAQs
Why has Canada's population growth slowed down?
Because of tighter immigration rules, especially restrictions on temporary residents and foreign students.
How many people were added to Canada's population this year?
Only 20,107 in the first quarter, effectively zero percent growth.
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