Trudeau acknowledges Canada's immigration mistakes: Could have turned off the faucets faster

Reased immigration in order to boost the labour market following the Covid-19 pandemic, and to avoid a recession. He claimed that some "bad actors", however, had manipulated the schemes to make money.

Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister, acknowledged that his government should have taken action sooner to fix flaws with immigration programmes. He cited "bad actors" who exploited the system in order to justify substantial reductions in permanent and temporary resident admittances.

Trudeau made his admission in a YouTube video that lasted seven minutes and detailed the changes to immigration policy, as well as why Trudeau decided to implement them.

Trudeau stated that Canada increased immigration following the Covid-19 pandemic to boost the labour market and stave-off a recession. He noted that some entities have manipulated these programs for financial gain.

Some saw it as a way to make money, or game the system. Trudeau stated in the video that "we saw way too many big corporations doing this."

He also criticized colleges and universities that use international student programs as a way to boost revenue, and scammers who prey on vulnerable immigrants by making false promises of citizenship.

Trudeau said, "Looking back at the past, we could have done more as a team to turn off the taps sooner when the boom after the pandemic cooled down and businesses didn't need the extra labour."

The new immigration program will reduce the number of permanent resident admitted to Canada. It is aiming for 395,000 by 2025, a drop of nearly 20% from the 485,000 anticipated this year. Temporary immigrants will also be reduced, as well, to just 446,000 per year by 2025-2026 and 17,400 by 2027. This is a nearly 20 percent drop from the 485,000 expected this year.

Canada has also discontinued the SDS (fast-track study visa program) in a major policy change. This is a blow for international students from India, which is currently the largest source of students studying abroad in Canada with 427,000 Indians enrolled.

Trudeau said that the cuts were necessary in order to deal with Canada's housing crises and cost of living issues. He said that the goal was to stabilize population growth until housing stocks caught up. Then, he would consider increasing immigration rates again.

Trudeau’s Liberal government has been under increasing pressure from the public and politicians over immigration, as it trails in polls before the election of 2025. Some people have linked the rising immigration rate to inflation and a shortage of affordable housing.

The public opinion polls show a growing skepticism towards Canada's immigration policy, which was once the hallmark of Canada's global reputation as a welcoming country. The number of anti-migrant attacks and rhetoric has also increased.

According to the Canadian government, it is estimated that immigration reductions will reduce Canada's housing shortage by 670,000 units between 2027 and 2027.