Here is a comprehensive summary of the article on immigration in Canada:

  • Record Numbers and Demographics: According to the 2021 Canadian census, immigrants number 8.3 million, comprising roughly 23% of the population—one of the highest ratios among Western industrialized nations, making Canada the world's eighth-largest immigrant host country.
  • Historical Shift: While immigration was integral to developing Canada after 1867, early policies were highly exclusionary, targeting European Christians and rejecting others through measures like the 1885 Chinese Immigration Act and the 1914 Komagata Maru incident; this shifted dramatically after 1947, culminating in the modern Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (2002).
  • Current Drivers and Targets: Immigration is now the main driver of population growth, with a record 405,000 admitted in 2021 and plans to increase annual intake to 500,000, though the government recently adjusted targets downward (e.g., 395,000 in 2025) to allow for growth in housing and social services.
  • Refugee Resettlement: Canada is a global leader in refugee resettlement, accounting for over 10% of annual global resettlements (more than 28,000 in 2018) and spending $769 million in 2023 on free housing and meals for newcomers.
  • Economic Debate: The economic impact is fiercely debated: the governing Liberal Party (under Justin Trudeau and now Mark Carney) argues higher immigration boosts GDP, while the Conservative Party (led by Pierre Poilievre) and a 2011 Fraser Institute report claim it lowers living standards and burdens taxpayers by up to $23 billion annually.
  • Future Projections: Statistics Canada projects that by 2041, immigrants could represent between 29.1% and 34.0% of the population, with the number of visible minorities projected to double and become the majority in many Canadian cities.