In October 2024 Canada unveiled a new Immigration Multi-Year Levels Plan that considerably reduced the targets for both permanent and temporary migrants. It constituted a dramatic modification from rising immigration numbers that characterized the previous decade. The move represents a departure from a vision for the country which saw immigration as critical to growth. The cuts have raised important questions about policies and programs. Reaching the targets has important ramifications for categories of immigrants, different regions of the country, and migrant countries of origin. Given the asymmetry in immigration policies in Canada, the effects of these immigration level reductions will inevitably be uneven.

What does this imply for the future of immigration in Canada? Is the direction we’re headed the best for the country in meeting future challenges? What are the unintended outcomes of these policy decisions? Do they advance Canada’s competitiveness in the current global economy or impede it? Do we need to consider changing course?

This important national gathering, co-chaired by Paula Knight and Emmanuel Nahimana, will seek to address the above questions.