Alberta’s government says Ottawa has lost control over immigration, warning that Canada is on pace to welcome more than one million new temporary and permanent residents this year, not counting nearly three million temporary residents already in the country. Minister of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration Joseph Schow said the federal government is failing to consider provincial needs when setting immigration targets.“Albertans want transparency, honesty and sustainability, all of which have been lost under this federal government,” Schow said. He also raised concerns about up to 500,000 illegal immigrants currently in Canada, noting they receive taxpayer-funded services yet are not counted in official immigration numbers.Alberta led the country in population growth last year at 4.36%, ahead of Ontario at 3.21% and BC at 3.02%. Most of the growth came from international migration, along with high levels of interprovincial migration. Between July 2023 and June 2024, 145,395 people moved to Alberta from abroad, up from 119,699 the previous year. Interprovincial migration added another 43,750 people, while only New Brunswick and Nova Scotia saw modest gains from other provinces.Schow said the rapid growth is straining housing, health care, employment and other public services, and called on Prime Minister Mark Carney to fulfill his promise to cap immigration and restore control over Canada’s borders.
