Editorial: Maple no longer syrupy

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said this week that Canada aims to significantly cut down the number of new immigrants that it allows into the country. The announcement was made in line with Trudeau acknowledging that his administration had failed to strike the right balance vis-a-vis immigrant intake in the aftermath of the pandemic. The PM and his liberal government had come under considerable fire for their proposal to allow five lakh new permanent residents into the country in each of the next two years a decision that underscored the negative impact that population growth has had on housing affordability.

Recall that two years ago, the target had been set at 14.5 lakh permanent residents over a three year period (2023-25). The revised target for next year will now be 395,000 new permanent residents, a figure that will dip to 380,000 in 2026 and 365,000 in 2027, bringing in a total of 11.4 lakh permanent residents over a three-year period starting 2025, a comparative drop of 21%. The reforms are most likely to dent the demographic of the Indian diaspora, which has a significant presence there. India is Canada’s top source for permanent residents — as 27% of PR holders happen to be Indians, making them the biggest beneficiaries of the PR scheme.

Also, at 22%, Indians make up the largest share of temporary workers in the provinces. Indians also constitute the largest group of foreign students in the country — 45% almost one in every two foreign students. It’s no surprise that Indians now make up the largest expat group in the country, with 2.8 mn NRIs and PIOs, turning it into the fourth largest immigrant base for Indians today. Job-wise, the share of Indians in managerial occupations is less than 10%, but among recent immigrants, it’s almost 19%. One in two Indians are in jobs that usually require a college degree.

Trudeau’s government has long touted Canada’s superior immigration policy, emphasising how it is better than its peer in the first world in welcoming newcomers and integrating them into the economy. However, several Canadians have registered their dismay at the growing influx of immigrants and temporary workers/students owing to the pressures exerted on housing, healthcare, education, and other welfare challenges. The warning signs were highlighted by Sanjay Verma, who served as India’s high commissioner to Canada from 2022. He recently spoke about why Indians hoping to study in Canada should think twice as many students have ended up in substandard colleges with no job prospects despite spending lakhs of rupees, resulting in depression and suicide.

Canada and the US are the two top destinations for Indians pursuing higher education. Only a few of them make it to the top colleges, while the rest end up in little known campuses. In the current year, 4,27,000 of them are studying in Canada, coughing up four times the fees paid by a Canadian. Discriminatory pricing on college fees might be just one part of the story. Even Canadian citizens of Indian origin are now paying the price of ‘native outrage’. A former representative of India’s National Commission of Minorities, has called on the top Sikh body and Sikh MPs from Canada to address the ban on turbans for public servants in positions of authority in Quebec. The writing is on the wall — the maple syrup has gone stale.