During a visit to Ottawa this week, the head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said he would like to see Canada reduce the number of refugees it plans to resettle if it helps stabilize the housing market and prevent a backlash against new entrants. called it “wise.”
U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet in Ottawa on Monday, and the Liberal government pledged $50.4 million to the agency.
His visit comes a little more than a week after the federal government announced plans to cut overall immigration by 20% by 2025, including refugees and protected persons.
The government cited pressure on available housing as one of the reasons for the new policy.
Grundy said Canada remains a world leader in resettlement, but pro-refugee sentiment is fragile amid the economic and housing crisis, and it would be “very negative” to see it destroyed. .
“Without good housing, integration is difficult and threatens the social cohesion between Canadians affected by the housing crisis and those who come and compete for housing,” he said Monday. “It will be.”
“In a situation like this, I think it would be wise to organize things, stabilize them, consolidate them. Otherwise, you get big numbers, which is great in a global situation, but problems arise. , there could be a regional backlash.”
In the event of an economic or housing crisis, great care must be taken in accepting refugees, he said.
The new target will reduce the projected number of refugees who will be granted permanent residence in Canada by 14,400 in 2025 compared to the plan developed last year.
The cuts are even more significant for protected persons and their dependents in Canada, representing a 31 per cent reduction compared to the government’s previous plan.
The Liberal government announced significant cuts to immigration targets to “stabilize population growth and reduce pressure on the housing market.” Canada plans to reduce the number of permanent residents by 21% from 500,000 to 395,000 in 2025.
The move has drawn condemnation from immigration groups, including the Refugee Council of Canada, who say the new plan is dangerous and betrayal.
“It is no exaggeration to say that the actions taken today will rob children of their futures and destroy families. We will lose.”
Canada has played a major role in the resettlement of Syrian, Ukrainian and Afghan refugees over the past few years, but each program has been different.
Immigration Minister Mark Miller said the proposed target would allow Canada to keep all of its existing commitments related to refugees, adding that the government now needs to consider them.
“If we want to remain an open and welcoming country, we need reasonable conditions for the different slots in which people are welcome. Otherwise, everyone is under threat,” he said in an interview. It will happen,” he said.
Grandi said he hoped the goal would be raised again if the country had the resources and housing needed to accommodate new entrants.
