Canada immigration policy: Justin Trudeau resignation, wetin e mean for pipo wey wan go Canada

Di resignation of Justin Trudeau as Canada Prime Minister on 6 January don raise questions about di future of immigration policies for di kontri.

Dis na bicos im resignation dey come during one vital election year, and for di middle of widespread mata wey concern immigration, economic challenges plus growing pressure from US President-elect Donald Trump.

Di approval level of Oga Trudeau bifor im resignation na just 22% - wey be far cry from di first year of im tenure, wen 65% of voters give am dia approval.

Although immigration no be di main reason for im low approval level or why e resign, however e dey accused say e act too late on top di mata of inflation and housing wey many pipo put part of di blame on immigration.

"While immigration fit no be di immediate cause of di resignation, e fit be di icing on di cake," Professor Jonathan Rose, head of department of political studies for Queen's University for Kingston, Ontario tok.

Trudeau: 'We no get di balance well'

During im administration, Oga Trudeau bin reduce di number of immigrants wey dey allowed into Canada, afta pressure increase on top access to social services, high cost of living plus unaffordable housing.

Dis concerns bin serve as major shift for Canada wey pride itself as kontri wey dey open to newcomers wit immigration policies wey dem tailor to boost dia population, fill labour gaps and settle refugees wey dey run from fight-fight from around di world.

Oga Trudeau, for 2015 bin run on di platform say im go embrace multiculturalism as key part of Canadian identity.

Im administration bin deliberately choose to radically boost di numbers of pipo wey come di kontri afta di pandemic. Im goment bin believe say boosting quotas for foreign students and temporary workers, in addition to skilled immigrants, go jumpstart di economy.

Figures from Canada national statistics agency show say for 2024, more dan 90% of population growth come from immigration and di number of refugees also increase.

However for 2022, 27% of Canadians tok say too many immigrants dey enta di kontri, according to one survey wey data and research firm Environics carry out. By 2024, dat number don increase to 58%.

For October 2024, Canadian goment bin announce sharp cut for di number of immigrants dem go allow into di kontri, inside effort to "pause population growth".

As part of di changes, Canada go reduce di number of permanent residents for 2025 from a previous target of 500,000 to 395,000 – wey be 21% drop.

Di announcement also follow reduced targets for both international students and temporary foreign workers.

Di goment set new conditions for temporary residents, international students, foreign workers and dia spouses, wey include cutting down di rate of work and study permit by 10% for 2025 and 2026.

Tent cities and full homeless shelters

BBC follow some pipo wey dey work closely wit asylum seekers for Canada tok. Dem say di heightened concerns around di need for more border security dey make asylum seekers feel unsettled and afraid.

Abdulla Daoud, executive director for di Refugee Center for Montreal, believe say di vulnerable asylum seekers e dey work wit feel singled out by di focus on migrant numbers since di US election. "dem dey more worried," e tok.

Those wey dey hope to stay for Canada as refugees no fit access official immigration settlement services until di goment decide say dem truly asylum. Dis process bifor dey take two weeks but now e fit take as long as three years.

Tent cities to house newly-arrived refugees and food banks wit empty shelves don plenty for Toronto. Tori be say di city homeless shelters full. Last winter, two refugee applicants bin freeze to death afta dem sleep on Toronto streets.

Toronto mayor Olivia Chow, wey be immigrant and move come Canada from Hong Kong at age 13, say: "Pipo dey see say even though dem dey do two jobs or three jobs, dem no get enof money to pay di rent and feed di kids.

"I understand say di hardship of having a life wey no dey affordable, and di fear of being evicted, absolutely, I understand am. But to blame dat on di immigration system dey unfair."

Wetin Justin Trudeau exit mean for Canada immigration policy

Although, di parliament of Canada go dey 'prorogued' according to Oga Trudeau. E announce for im stepping down speech say im don ask di kontri govnor general to accept im request to prorogue di Parliament and di minister grant im request.

Wetin prorogue essentially mean na say, dem go suspend all parliamentary proceedings, debates and votes until March 2025. During dis time, no new legislative business go hold, and di goment no go fit introduce new laws or make decisions through parliamentary votes until di session resume.

Di normal activities of goment go kontinu during di prorogation, and dis include immigration operations.

As di political landscape shift for di kontri, plenty changes to immigration policy dey.

E neva clear who go replace Trudeau from within im own Liberal Party but ahead of di forthcoming election, polls currently dey favour di Conservative Party, wey dia leader Pierre Poilievre want make di number of new arrivals dey below di number of new houses dem dey build.

Since Donald Trump win di US presidential election for November, Poilievre "don dey tok so much about immigration", Prof Rose claim say - "so much to di extent say e don become important for di minds of voters".

Politicians wey dey chook mouth for di debate around population growth ahead of di next election go dey conscious of di fact say half of Canadians na first and second-generation immigrants themselves. "If di Conservatives win di next election, we fit expect a reduction in immigration," Prof Jonathan Rose tok. But e add say Poilievre gatz waka "a bit of fine line".

Plenty Canadians dey including business leaders and academics, wey believe say di kontri must continue to pursue assertive growth policy to combat Canada falling birth rate.

"I really get high hopes for Canadians," Lisa Lalande of di Century Initiative, wey dey advocate for policies wey go see Canada population increase to 100 million by 2100 add.

"I think we just really dey concerned about affordability [and] cost of living - not about immigrants themselves. We recognise say dem dey too important to our culture."