Canada readies a new wave of immigration amid labour shortages and Indian worker proposal

Mark Carney is preparing to lift Canada’s immigration ceiling once more, positioning population growth as a solution to the country’s demographic decline and labour shortages. In an interview, India’s high commissioner Dinesh K Patnaik suggested that meeting Carney’s $1 trillion investment target could require up to 15 million additional workers from India and other Asian countries. Canada’s population, about 41.8 million, has been growing slowly after a recent pullback that cut annual growth to roughly 0.5 percent, following earlier years of record-high inflows that overwhelmed housing and public services.

Despite the slowdown, non-permanent residents still make up about 6.7 percent of the population. Opposition leader Michelle Rempel Garner has warned that higher immigration would further strain housing, health care and jobs, and she has called for a substantial reduction in numbers. The Liberal government plans to publish its forthcoming immigration plan on 1 November, outlining targets for both permanent and temporary entrants.