Why Canada's new immigration plan matters for America

Justin Trudeau.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Getty Images, iStock)

While most news outlets are focused on the Canadian "Freedom Convoy" and the government's response to it, another story out of Ottawa with potentially bigger long-term consequences has gone underreported. That's the announcement that Canada has increased immigration targets for the next three years to their highest level in a century. This is big news for Canada, but it should also be closely studied by the United States, which faces analogous demographic and economic challenges.

Canada's fertility rate stands at an anemic 1.4 children per woman, far below the replacement rate of 2.1 — meaning that, if not for immigration, the Canadian population would be shrinking. That would put a heavy strain on the country's welfare state, with fewer workers available over time to pay into government programs that provide benefits and social services. Canada's economy is also suffering from pandemic-related labor shortages.

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Damon Linker

Damon Linker is a senior correspondent at TheWeek.com. He is also a former contributing editor at The New Republic and the author of The Theocons and The Religious Test.