'Starved for people': Feds to increase immigration by 1.2m

Immigration minister Marco Mendicino has revealed a three-year “road map” to increase immigration numbers across Canada.

During a news conference Friday, Mendicino said the federal government’s vision is to bring 401,000 new permanent residents in 2021; 411,000 in 2022; and 421,000 in the year 2023.

“Since the pandemic struck, we have put robust measures in place to protect Canadians, including border restrictions, strengthened health screening at the border, and increased quarantine compliance and enforcement efforts," said Mendicino.

A lot has changed, he said, but one thing has not: Immigration is vital to Canada’s future, and COVID-19 has made that even clearer.

“Immigrants are critical to our health-care sector and represent one in four working in our hospitals and longterm care homes," he said. "Whether they are taking care of our most vulnerable or putting food on our tables, newcomers have played an outside role in our response to COVID-19.”

Highlighted in the conference is the rapidly aging workforce — something that's particularly important in Atlantic Canada — which is another driving factor for immigration. In 1971, there were roughly seven workers for every retiree. Today, there are four. By 2035, there will only be two workers for every retiring Canadian.

Mendicino said if this trend continues, “Canada will have to pay 40 per cent more for services like health care.”

The focus is on skilled workers and attracting new immigrants into rural areas.

“Keeping families together is important, which is why we will continue to support family reunification," said Mendicino.

"And we will uphold our Canadian values by broadening economic pathways to refugees with the skills to hit the ground running and maintaining our global commitment to protecting the world’s most vulnerable.”

Immigrants own one in three Canadian businesses, like chef Joe Thottungal who briefly kicked off the conference with his success story in front of his Thali restaurant. Thottungal not only contributes to the economy, but during the pandemic helped feed the homeless in Ottawa.

When considering the benefit to Canada's economy, he pointed to international students as one key example.

“They contribute over $21.6 billion to our economy every year and deeply enrich the community and campus where they are taking their education,” he said.