Migrants, especially the skilled ones, play a rather key role in the growth and expansion of an economy. All leading global economies–including the US, the UK, Australia and Canada–have tremendously gained from the handsome contributions made by the migrants.

This is an altogether different matter that despite this not many are really willing to accept it in public and give credit to the migrants, perhaps, to cater to a section of their vote bank and for certain other reasons best known to them.

But it does not mean that they do not realize and/or accept their value and contributions in private. Well, whatever could be the reason and justification for their strange behavior, the truth, as mentioned before, is that none of the economies can actually do without the migrants and their contributions.

And, this takes us to the news under discussion!

In an important development, a pro-business think tank has reportedly come out with a report highlighting that in case Canada were to halt admitting immigrants entirely, its manpower and economic development would nearly come to a halt and shrink considerably. Though the chances of Maple Leaf Country actually stopping immigration are nearly zero, as per a high-ranking scholar with the concerned organization, namely, the Conference Board of Canada, painting this situation assists one better figure the contributions made by the newcomers to Canada’s economy.

Deaths to Surpass Births

The report observes that in case the nation ceased accepting immigrants, economic development would head south, from 1.9% to an average of 1.3% every year. The same would experience a decreasing manpower, a not-too-positive economic development, and bigger difficulties backing the different social services, like healthcare, for example.

The report adds that, by 2034, the figure of deaths in the Maple Leaf Country is likely to leave births behind, and it denotes that the increase in population would only be, thanks to immigration. And in case there were not any new immigrants, by 2040, nearly 27% of the people would be 65 years of age and above.

The report in question also projects that improving immigration to 1% of the nation’s populace by the early 2030s would be pivotal and help keep its populace, work force and economy expanding and developing at a reasonably good rate. And it would denote improving the figure of the newcomers to roughly 400,000, from 290,000 in 2017 every year.

Some Canadian Perturbed Over Real Immigration Numbers

Simultaneously, despite the fact that most local inhabitants support the present levels of immigration, the support nose-dives when they are told of the actual number of the newcomers who land in the country per annum. As per the available statistics, majority of the Canadians believe that the figure of immigrants moving in every year is less than 150,000. And when they are informed that the figure is somewhere around 260,000, the figure of the respondents who state that is too high increases to 32% from 23%.

It, allegedly, suggests the administration will have to tread carefully at the time of managing the subject of the number of the newcomers to accept.

Immigration to Dominate Quebec Polls

As it is known, the Canadian province Programs of Quebec enjoys some freedom in managing its own newcomers. An election is round the corner, in October 2018 to be precise, even as the subject of immigration is likely to play a rather key part in the drive.

As per certain reports trickling in, the chief of one of the opposition parties, keen to win the elections, is already proclaiming that it would be mandatory for immigrants to successfully clear a test on Quebec values prior to they would be given the permission to live in Quebec, on a permanent basis. And the focus of such a test would be respect for diversity, democracy besides a secular administration, among others.

Significantly, it is not that the subject of immigrant values has not been employed earlier in the previous elections by political outfits, seeking to exhibit that they support the French language & culture in the region.