For decades, Canada has presented itself as a country open to newcomers, with immigration policies designed to increase its population, fill labor shortages and welcome refugees fleeing conflicts around the world.

But in recent months, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he intends to significantly reduce the number of immigrants allowed into Canada as public concern grows over the inaccessibility of social services, at the cost of high living standards and unaffordable housing.

It’s a major shift both for the country and for Trudeau, who ran in 2015 with a platform that made multiculturalism a key part of Canadian identity.

His government has relied on ambitious immigration targets to fuel economic growth.

Faced with criticism and falling approval ratings, the prime minister now says his government miscalculated and that Canada must “stabilize” its population growth so that public infrastructure can keep pace.

On Thursday, Trudeau and Immigration Minister Marc Miller presented their toughest immigration cuts yet – a 21% reduction in permanent residents accepted into the country in 2025.

The announcement follows other cuts to Canada’s temporary residency programs, which include temporary foreign workers and international students.

Explaining his policy change, Trudeau argued that “Canadians are rightly proud” of their immigration system.

“It has made our economy the envy of the world,” he said. “This is how we build strong, diverse communities.”

But Trudeau admitted his government “didn’t strike the right balance” when it admitted record numbers of temporary residents after the Covid-19 pandemic to ease labor shortages, and that he It is now necessary to “stabilize” Canada’s immigration system. .

His announcement follows a decline in public support for immigration to Canada.

A September poll by the Environics Institute, which has tracked Canadians’ attitudes toward immigration since 1977, found that for the first time in a quarter century, a majority now say there is too much immigration.

The institute said this change in attitude is mainly due to concerns about limited housing. But the economy, overpopulation and the way the immigration system is managed have also been cited as important factors.

In an October newsletter, Abacus Data pollster David Coletto said the idea that “the consensus on immigration is cracking is an understatement.”

“I think that consensus is now broken and I expect this to be one of the most important issues on the federal and provincial political scene over the next year.”

Canada has been largely welcoming to immigrants. Data shows that the country is a world leader in refugee resettlement and that the country has built a reputation over the past 50 years as a country that values ​​newcomers.

The Canadian Multiculturalism Act, adopted in 1988, recognizes diversity as an integral part of Canadian identity. Its multicultural heritage is also protected by the constitution.

“Since around the late 1990s, Canadian attitudes have been largely pro-immigration,” Michael Donnelly, a political science professor at the University of Toronto, told the BBC.

In 2019, a Pew Research report reported that among the top 10 migrant destination countries, Canada had the most positive views of immigration.

Professor Donnelly said immigrants make up a large portion of the Canadian electorate, which deters major political parties from taking an anti-immigration stance.

Canada also rarely faced the problems faced elsewhere with uncontrolled migration – an advantage of its geography, being surrounded by three oceans and the United States to the south – and its immigration system was perceived by the public as open and well regulated.

But those positive feelings have changed in recent years, Professor Donnelly said.

One reason is the unprecedented increase in the number of temporary residents coming to Canada.

The number of international students increased by almost 30% between 2022 and 2023, according to the Canadian Office for International Education. Meanwhile, government data shows the number of temporary foreign workers in Canada has doubled over the past five years.

Another factor is a growing sense that Canada’s immigration system has lost its integrity, Professor Donnelly said, in part because of miscalculations by the Canadian government.

Asylum claims increased after Canada removed visa requirements for Mexican tourists in 2016, forcing Canada to reimpose visa restrictions earlier this year.

Canadian media also reported that some international students were using their temporary visas to seek permanent asylum in the country – a trend Minister Miller called “alarming.”

Professor Donnelly said these and other incidents “made people believe the government had lost control of the flow of immigration”.

All of these concerns, he added, are underscored by a housing crisis that has affected Canadians across the country, where the shortage of available housing has driven up rents and home prices for many.

“People are going to see large numbers of (newcomers) arriving and housing shortages, and conclude that that is directly causal,” he said.

Professor Donnelly noted that while Canada has seen some racist rhetoric around immigration, the change in Canadian attitudes is not primarily driven by sentiments seen in European countries or among states. -United neighbors.

Rather, it is fueled by people’s desire to reign over Canada’s immigration system.

“The Trudeau government is clearly trying to present the image of ‘we have this under control,'” Professor Donnelly said.