Canada, under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has seen an unprecedented increase in immigration leading to significant social and economic repercussions. Critics argue that Trudeau’s policies have pushed immigration to unsustainable levels, causing a domino effect of issues ranging from housing shortages to cultural tensions.
The surge in immigration has been directly linked to Canada’s current housing crisis. With an influx of newcomers, demand for housing has skyrocketed, but supply has not kept pace. Between 2021 and 2024, Canada’s population grew by approximately 3.2 million people, largely due to immigration. This represents a near 10% increase without a corresponding rise in housing stock.
This imbalance has led to increases in rental prices, making housing unaffordable for many. The government was warned about this potential outcome as early as 2022, highlighting a “misalignment between population growth and housing supply.” In 2022, only about 220,000 housing units were completed, while the immigration target for 2025 was set at 500,000 new permanent residents annually, highlighting a severe mismatch.
The housing crisis has exacerbated homelessness in Canada. Cities like Toronto have seen tent cities and homeless shelters overflowing, with tragic incidents of people freezing to death on the streets. The moral implications of a first world nation allowing citizens to die on the street are severe.
The financial burden on taxpayers is significant; it’s estimated that Canada currently spends around a million dollars a day just on on housing refugees. Meanwhile, the cost of addressing homelessness, including temporary shelters and social services, adds further strain to public finances.
In 2022 around 96,000 Canadian born citizens were homeless and living in shelters. Canada spent about $500 million housing those Canadian citizens
In that same year Canada had about 2,100 refugees living in shelters. With at least $164 million being provided by The Interm Housing Assistance Program as well as substantial funding from the Resettlement Assistance Program to the amount of $259 million totalling $423 million.
Spending Per Person (using shelter users as a base):
$500,000,000 / 95,307 ≈ $5,246 per homeless Canadian born citizen in shelters
For Refugees:
Total Spending: $431 million
Number of Refugees: 2,100
Spending Per Person:
$423,000,000 / 2,100 ≈ $201,4288 per refugee
Of course these numbers don’t actually equate to what each individual receives but more to how much it costs per individual to house and feed etc. So they’re clearly seems to be a larger priority, based on these numbers, for refugees.
The cultural landscape of Canada is also changing, with some communities feeling overwhelmed by the rapid influx of new cultures. In Brampton, the installation of a large statue of Lord Hanuman, an Indian deity, has been a point of contention, symbolizing for some a shift in community identity. Similarly, there have been reports of tensions due to cultural practices and protests, particularly from Muslim communities protesting against Israel, which has stirred debate on cultural integration versus cultural imposition.
With Donald Trump’s aggressive stance on illegal immigration in the U.S., Canada has become an unintended consequence, particularly at less guarded border crossings like Roxham Road in Quebec.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection have reported record-high number of encounters with migrants at the Canadian border. From 2022 to 2023, nearly 40,000 asylum seekers entered Canada through irregular border crossings like Roxham Road.
Despite Trudeau’s initial welcoming stance, which included tweets about Canada’s open doors, the reality of managing such influxes has led to policy adjustments. However, the situation remains volatile, with the potential for increased illegal crossings as U.S. policies will undoubtedly push migrants northward. Trudeau has faced pressure to tighten border controls, especially with threats of tariffs from Trump, but the situation is complex given historical support from the NDP, which has at times backed more open immigration policies.
Canada’s economy, while benefiting from immigration in terms of labor, has had difficulty contending with an influx of over 2 million temporary and permanent residents in one year (2024), causing strain on public services like healthcare and education, potentially risking economic stability, and now, potential trade retaliations from the U.S. The sovereignty of Canada is also at stake, with concerns about cultural erosion and the capability to manage its borders effectively amidst political pressures.
With an election on the horizon, immigration policy has become a central issue. The Conservative Party, under Pierre Poilievre, has criticized Trudeau’s immigration strategy, promising to link immigration rates to housing availability. It is not clear how this will change housing costs as it only addresses housing availability. The argument that with more available housing costs will decrease but by how much if we continue to increase the population through immigration.
On the other side, Trudeau’s Liberals, sometimes in coalition with Jagmeet Singh’s NDP, have shown reluctance to significantly alter their approach, though recent announcements suggest some adjustments. The political rhetoric has intensified, with Singh putting Trump “on notice” about Canadian tariffs, signaling a readiness to defend Canada’s interests, but potentially at the cost of further economic strain.
Since Trudeau took office in 2015 his immigration policies have quickly eroded Canada’s national identity, increased homelessness and affordability for everyday canadians. For years Trudeau would not back down on his immigration policies, with his cabinet members echoing his sentiment due to labor shortages. Now he has changed tune and admitted that they have made errors and immigrstion has been unsustainable. With an election loominG in 2025 leaders of the different parties will all make grand gestures abiut sweeping reforms to stabilize the hemorrhaging of Canada’s economy. The real question remains is that can you put the genie back in the bottle? Or once you’ve opened Pandora’s box how do you close it. The stark and terrifying reality is that Trudeau’s promise of Canada being aa post national state may have been fully implemented and irreversible.