Canadian Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced that Canada will strengthen its immigration targets, expressing hope to welcome record numbers of newcomers to address the country's labor shortage.

Fraser said during a press conference yesterday, Tuesday: "Canada needs more people."

A large segment of the population in Canada is reaching retirement age. According to recent population statistics, the age of one in seven people in Canada ranges between 55 and 64 years.
Canadian companies are also facing the largest labor crisis ever, with one million job vacancies recorded in March.
Fraser added, "Canadians understand the need to continue increasing our population if we want to meet our workforce needs."

Last year, Canada welcomed more than 405,000 immigrants, the highest number ever in one year. Fraser pointed out that the government hopes this number will reach 431,000 immigrants this year.

The Canadian government also adjusted its targets for next year by increasing the expected number of arrivals to 465,000 immigrants, 485,000 immigrants in 2024, and 500,000 in 2025.

A total of 1.3 million new immigrants settled in Canada between 2016 and 2021.

Fraser said that by 2025, the target will be more than 60 percent of total admissions for economic reasons. Canada also aims to reunite more families faster, but receives fewer refugees.

According to the 2021 census, Canada's population grew to 39 million, with one in four people born abroad.