Inflation on the rise, unaffordable housing has become a crisis; is this the best time to be inviting newcomers to the country?

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

Canadians, let’s face it; we have been dealing with a lot over the last few years: the country’s GDP is shrinking, and it has now become a fact that we are now in a recession. Housing is becoming more and more unaffordable. Rents are burning a hole in the pockets of Canadians, and how has our Prime Minister catered to that crisis? Well, he is doing what seems to be a hospitable gesture; welcoming a hundred thousand immigrants to the country.

Canadian consumers are pulling back on their spending as inflation is eroding their purchasing power. It really sucks, because many of us are struggling to make ends meet. The situation has become so grave that an ordinary Canadian can’t buy a house or pay rent; their kitchens are grappling with hefty grocery bills, and our Prime Minister chooses this time to open our doors, and invite citizens from all over the globe to become part of the chaos.

Last year, Canada welcomed more than 405,000 newcomers; the largest single-year increase in its history, and our government has set an ambitious plan to bring in more than 1.3 million newcomers over the next three years to support its post-pandemic growth.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government aims to add more than: 431,000 permanent residents this year, 447,000 in 2023 and 451,000 in 2024, according to the 2022-24 Immigration Levels Plan released last year. Figures for 2022 and 2023 have been revised higher from earlier targets of 411,000 and 421,000, respectively.

Under the plan, overall admissions will amount to 1.14% of the Canadian population by 2024, and nearly 60% of newcomers will qualify as economic immigrants, selected on the basis of their skills and work experience.

According to Statistics Canada, as of 2019, a vast majority of new immigrants to Canada came from Asia, with India leading the way. After India, China and the Philippines followed. Over 85,000 individuals emigrated from India, along with about 30,00 individuals from China and 28,000 the Philippines.

Entry to Canada also came from: Nigeria, the United States, Pakistan, Syria, Eritrea, Korea, and Iran. Canada has immigrants from 175 countries. Most of Canada’s immigrants enter the country in one of three ways: an economic program, reuniting with family, or asylum-seeking.

In 2016, Africa replaced Europe as the second continent with the greatest recent Canadian immigration. Over 13% of immigrants came from Africa, with the most popular countries being: Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Cameroon. Immigration from Europe is estimated to decrease over the next decade while Africa remains in second place.

Population predictions indicate that Canada’s immigrant population may make up 24.5% to 30% of Canada’s total population by 2036. Almost 60% of Canada’s immigrant population is expected to come from Asia. Canada’s European immigration percentage is expected to decrease, almost by half, with an expected range of 15.4% to 17.8% by 2036, compared to 31.6% in 2011.

In terms of geographic residency, the primary areas of immigrant settlement in Canada are: Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. However, other provinces are expected to see increases in their immigrant population as well.

Some concerns that are being voiced by Canadians are that Canada’s mass immigration policies are erasing Canada’s history and culture. There are also concerns about national security. A Blacklock reporter revealed that Canadians were particularly concerned about espionage against Canadian companies. A clear majority, 58%, see China as the biggest threat to Canada (report titled Attitudes To CSIS). Other countries that Canadians are concerned about are: Russia (18%), North Korea (10%) and Syria (4%).

Canada’s culture has already changed dramatically, especially in British Columbia. Certain parts of Canada, particularly in the lower mainland of BC, have literally become Chinese colonies. Some Chinese people there do not attempt to hide the fact that they are there as representatives of China, and they have no issue undermining Canada’s interests versus China’s interests.

Most Canadians are unaware of what’s happening, and yes, the media is responsible for the lack of awareness. For example, they report on unaffordable housing, but they do not connect the issue of the increasing unaffordability to Canada’s policy of mass immigration.

The CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) receives about $1.3 billion annually in government funding, and we have to consider this thought; is a media organization receiving large quantities of money from the government going to make negative reports about something as important to the government as immigration?

Public hostility toward immigrants could rise and xenophobes could blame immigrants for worsening a bad economic situation. I wonder if Prime Minister Trudeau pencilled this into his immigration plan.