“The federal government has lost control of sustainable immigration in Canada. Despite promises from Prime Minister Mark Carney to restore sustainable levels, Canada is on pace to receive more than one million new temporary and permanent immigrants this year, not including the almost three million temporary residents already in the country.
“Each year, the federal government sets immigration targets while provincial governments are responsible for the majority of supports including health care, housing and education. Unfortunately, the decisions regarding immigration targets are often made without proper consideration of provincial needs or priorities. When it comes to immigration, Albertans simply want transparency, honesty and sustainability, all of which have been lost under this federal government.
“At the same time, it is estimated that there are up to 500,000 illegal immigrants currently spread across Canada, all of whom are benefiting from taxpayer-funded services. As the federal government determines immigration targets for next year, these illegal migrants are not being accounted for. This means that the numbers being reported to Canadians are inaccurate. These illegal migrants must be taken into account, as every province is feeling the pressure of Ottawa’s mismanagement of the immigration system.
“Alberta has led the country in population growth rates, increasing by 4.36 per cent last year, ahead of Ontario at 3.21 per cent and B.C. at 3.02 per cent. Most of that growth has come from international migration, along with the highest levels of interprovincial migration in Canada. Employment, housing, health care and other public services are under pressure due to Canada’s open border policy, and the strain will only get worse if immigration is not brought under control.
“As Prime Minister Carney admitted in April, ‘the system isn’t working.’ He must keep his promise to cap immigration and fix the system. Nowhere is the strain more obvious than in Alberta, where record population growth is being felt in communities provincewide. It is time to regain control of our borders, protect the services Canadians rely on, and restore trust in our immigration system.”
Quick facts
- Alberta’s population growth in 2023-2024 led the country for the second year in a row at a rate of 4.36 per cent.
- Net international migration was the primary contributor to population growth in 2023-24, accounting for 71.2 per cent of the provincial absolute growth.
In 2023-24, Alberta was among the only provinces to see growth through interprovincial migration.
- 43,750 people moved to Alberta from other provinces in 2023-24.
- The only other provinces to see growth through interprovincial migration in 2023-24 were New Brunswick (2,803) and Nova Scotia (2,252).
- All other provinces saw decreases in interprovincial migration.
- Between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024, Alberta’s population grew by 145,395 people through international migration.
- This is an increase from the prior year’s growth of 119,699 people through international migration.