The Economic Importance of Immigration in Canada

After mounting political pressure, last weekend Immigration Minister Marc Miller acknowledged that the number of non-permanent residents in Canada is putting a strain on housing. As Canada brings in a historic number of temporary residents and population growth sets records, some of the country’s top bank economists and even the Bank of Canada say that the federal government’s immigration policy is significantly affecting housing affordability. So how did we get here? What is Canada’s immigration policy? Would a cap on non-permanent residents help alleviate the housing crisis – or could it hurt the economy as some critics say?  Canadian Press economics reporter Nojoud Al Mallees explains.  For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.