Ottawa to welcome 1.2 million immigrants by 2023
“Immigration is vital to Canada’s future,” said Marco Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, on Friday when the three-year immigration plan was tabled. By 2021, the Liberal government wants to welcome 401,000 permanent residents, a target that, if met, would be an historic record. Ottawa has revised its targets upwards to admit a total of 1.2 million immigrants by 2023. These are robust measures, Mendicino said at a press conference in Ottawa, adding that the federal government will use investments and resources to achieve them. The coronavirus pandemic has illustrated how much the country needs immigrants, he says. Currently, in the health sector alone, he recalled, a quarter of workers are from immigration. Federal targets for welcoming permanent residents: 401,000 in 2021 411,000 in 2022 421,000 in 2023 By comparison, Canada’s target for the current year was to welcome approximately 341,000 new permanent residents, consistent with recent immigration level...