Canada to let 300,000 immigrants enter country in 2017

Canada said on Monday it would let 300,000 immigrants into the country in 2017, maintaining this year’s target despite recommendations to increase it to help spur economic growth.

The government said it was establishing 300,000 as a new baseline for the admission of permanent residents, with the majority of those allowed into the country to be selected as economic immigrants.

While the target is unchanged from 2016’s plan, it is above the average of 259,542 immigrants admitted from 2011 to 2015.

Immigration minister John McCallum told reporters that making the 300,000 target permanent laid the foundation for future immigration growth.

“I do believe it is true that more immigrants for Canada would be a good policy for demographic reasons,” McCallum said.

Canada’s ageing population poses a challenge for economic growth.

According to the Guardian, an economic advisory council to finance minister Bill Morneau recently recommended that Canada increase its annual immigration target to 450,000 over the next five years to attract top talent to Canadian companies.

“That number is a conceivable number for some date in the future, but certainly not for 2017,” McCallum said, while agreeing with the spirit of the recommendations.