Welcoming the government’s increased immigration targets

Statement on the federal government’s 2022-2024 immigration targets:

Immigration will be a key driver of recovery as Canadians rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of job vacancies in the country is near an all-time high. We must ensure everyone in Canada who wants to work is able to do so. But even with full employment, the country will need newcomers to help fill all the jobs available. An economy that is chronically short of workers cannot achieve its potential.

For that reason, we welcome the government’s announcement today of increased targets for new permanent residents to be admitted to Canada over the next three years.

To help meet these new targets, we urge the government to expand the immigration system’s processing capacity by adding new processing centers, updating outdated IT systems, and increasing recruitment and training of border agents and settlement services personnel. A growing workforce should also be accompanied by increased investments in public services, housing, and infrastructure.