Canada's New Immigration Policies 2016 : Good Politics, Bad for the Country

Canada's Liberal government elected in 2015 adopted new immigration policies, the economic and social implications of which are examined in the light of a number of recent studies that analyze the fiscal, economic and social costs and risks stemming from the previously existing immigration policies. The new policies appear designed to buy more votes of the immigrant community but clearly impose high fiscal costs and increase risks of social stability and economic security on all Canadians. The paper examines the traditional claims about the benefits brought by immigrants and finds them invalid in current circumstances. The reasons include the costs of our welfare state caused by the low earnings and taxes paid by recent immigrants that are increased further by the proposed larger number of annual immigrants. The paper concludes with the call for an open discussion of the benefits and costs of present immigration policies to properly inform the public of their short and long term consequences for Canada