Canada to boost immigration to 1-million to support business and labour
Ottawa — Canada will boost immigration to 1-million over the next three years with a plan that "will guarantee" the country’s future prosperity, its immigration minister Ahmed Hussen announced on Wednesday. The number of immigrants will be increased to at least 310,000 next year, and continue growing to 330,000 in 2019 and 340,000 in 2020, said Hussen, who assumed office in January and is himself an immigrant. "This plan will result in the most ambitious immigration levels in history and will guarantee Canada’s prosperity now and into the future," he told a press conference. The arrivals — in economic and family categories, as well as refugees — would push up the population of Canada by about 0.9% each year, an increase from 0.8% in recent years. Critics, however, said as many as 450,000 newcomers are needed annually to support businesses and labour needs as the population ages and birth rates fall. According to the last census, the proportion of the Canadian population born abroad ...
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