Applying for immigration to Canada, Photo: Manjurul Haque / Dreamstime.com
Canada, known for its openness to refugees and immigrants, is changing its approach. Justin Trudeau’s government has launched a global online campaign to warn potential asylum seekers about the complexity of the application process. According to Reuters, 250,000 Canadian dollars have been allocated for this purpose, and the advert will run until March 2024 and will be available in 11 languages, including Ukrainian, Spanish and Urdu.
What does the campaign involve?
The campaign aims to reduce the number of asylum applications and combat misinformation about the immigration system. The adverts contain a warning:
“Applying for asylum in Canada is not easy. There are strict rules. Find out what you need to know before you make a decision.”
This initiative is part of a broader strategy to reduce the number of permanent and temporary migrants.
Reasons for the changes
In 2022, Canada experienced record population growth due to the influx of migrants. This has caused social tensions, including blaming migrants for rising housing prices. Although experts consider this explanation to be simplistic, polls show that more Canadians believe the country is overwhelmed by newcomers.
The government is also trying to cope with more than 260,000 pending asylum applications. To do this, it plans to speed up the processing of unlikely cases and encourage temporary residents to leave the country after their visas expire.
Abrupt change in policy
This is a dramatic shift for the Trudeau government, which has previously emphasised openness. In January 2017, the Prime Minister wrote on Twitter:
“For those fleeing persecution, terror and war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith.”
However, in November 2023, eight years after this statement, Trudeau released a video condemning those who “abuse the immigration system”.
Expert reaction
Jamie Chai Yun Liu, a law professor at the University of Ottawa, notes that fighting disinformation is necessary, but the tone of the campaign goes against the traditional Canadian approach:
“If the message is: ‘You are not welcome’, it undermines Canada’s long-standing image as a welcoming country.”
Implications for immigration
New restrictions and reductions in immigration are projected to affect the country’s demographics, which will begin to decline. This raises concerns about the economic and social impact.
Canada is on the verge of a new phase of its immigration policy, which should change not only the number of newcomers but also its own image in the world.
