Mark Carney Faces Backlash Over Immigration Target Cuts

Prime Minister Mark Carney is facing backlash from business groups, immigration lawyers, and newcomer advocates following the release of Budget 2026 and the 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan. The plan caps permanent resident admissions at 380,000 annually through 2029 and limits new temporary residents to 370,000 annually. The government maintains these reductions are necessary to alleviate pressure on housing, healthcare, and public services.

Critics argue the restrictions will worsen labor shortages in construction and healthcare while discouraging foreign investment. The Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association specifically criticized the suspension of business immigration pathways, while the Canadian Council for Refugees condemned a projected drop in government-assisted refugee admissions to 11,750 by 2027.

Operational failures have compounded the policy shift, as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada manages a backlog of 2.09 million applications. While the Canadian Federation of Independent Business expressed concern over retaining foreign workers, it noted that creating paths to permanency for temporary workers could be a positive step.