Alberta’s immigration minister is demanding Ottawa regain control of the country’s immigration system as the province deals with unprecedented population growth that is straining public services.
Minister of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration Joseph Schow said the federal government has “lost control of sustainable immigration in Canada” and is failing to consider provincial capacity when setting immigration targets.
“Canada is on pace to receive more than one million new temporary and permanent immigrants this year, not including the almost three million temporary residents already in the country,” Schow said in a statement issued today.
The minister criticized Prime Minister Mark Carney for not following through on promises to restore sustainable immigration levels, despite acknowledging in April that “the system isn’t working.”
Record population growth puts pressure on services
Alberta’s population grew by 4.36 per cent last year, leading the country for the second consecutive year, according to the provincial government. Ontario followed at 3.21 per cent and British Columbia at 3.02 per cent.
International migration accounted for 71.2 per cent of Alberta’s population growth in 2023-24, with 145,395 people arriving from other countries, the government said. This represents an increase from 119,699 international migrants the previous year.
The province also attracted 43,750 people from other provinces, making it one of only three provinces to see growth through interprovincial migration, along with New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
Illegal immigrants not counted in federal targets
Schow said the federal government is not accounting for an estimated 500,000 illegal immigrants currently in Canada when setting immigration targets, making reported numbers “inaccurate.”
“These illegal migrants must be taken into account, as every province is feeling the pressure of Ottawa’s mismanagement of the immigration system,” he said.
The minister said provinces bear responsibility for most immigrant supports, including health care, housing and education, but are not properly consulted on federal immigration decisions.
Services under strain
According to Schow, employment, housing, health care and other public services are under pressure due to what he called Canada’s “open border policy.”
“The strain will only get worse if immigration is not brought under control,” he said.
The minister called for transparency, honesty and sustainability in immigration policy, saying these qualities “have been lost under this federal government.”
Schow urged the prime minister to “cap immigration and fix the system” to protect services Canadians rely on and restore trust in the immigration system.
