The Decibel Why Canada lost consensus on immigration — and how to get it back
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Nov 27, 2025 Tony Keller, a Globe and Mail columnist and author of Borderline Chaos, and Rupa Banerjee, Canada Research Chair in Economic Inclusion, dive into Canada's shifting immigration landscape. They discuss the dramatic change in public sentiment, with many now believing immigration is too high. Keller outlines Trudeau's immigration policies and their unintended consequences, while Banerjee highlights the economic impact on immigrants and international students. Together, they explore the challenges of balancing selection with integration, the risks to current immigrants, and the need for better public understanding.
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Stable, Cross-Party Immigration Consensus
- From the 1990s to 2015 Canada ran ~250,000 new immigrants a year with broad cross-party consensus.
- The system combined strict border control with relatively high, stable immigration chosen by merit-based points.
The Post‑Pandemic Surge Changed Everything
- Between 2021 and 2024 temporary and permanent flows exploded, producing net 3.1 million newcomers in three years.
- That surge averaged over a million people a year versus the long-term ~250,000 and shocked housing and labour markets.
Official Targets Hid The Full Picture
- The government presented immigration targets for permanent residents while largely ignoring the exploding temporary-stream numbers.
- That created an opaque picture where policy talked about one door while most arrivals came through many temporary pathways.
