U.S. President Donald Trump has renewed his criticism of Canada’s immigration policy, claiming the country is “destroying itself” by allowing millions of people into Canada and describing the situation as a “Liberal takeover that will end very badly.”
Trump made the comments in a social media post Wednesday, alleging that Canada’s immigration policies were allowing people into the country “essentially unchecked and unvetted.” He also claimed that the policy was contributing to high unemployment in Canada.
Trump did not provide evidence to support his claims about Canada’s immigration system or its relationship to unemployment.
The remarks come as Prime Minister Mark Carney continues efforts to strengthen Canada’s international relationships and reduce the country’s economic dependence on the United States. Carney is currently in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, where he is also engaging with European leaders.
Canada has, in fact, taken steps over the past two years to reduce immigration levels. The federal government abandoned its earlier plan to work toward admitting 500,000 permanent residents annually and introduced lower targets for international students and temporary workers.
Immigration Department data cited by The Canadian Press shows that the number of temporary residents arriving in Canada between January and July 2026 was 66% lower than during the same period in 2024, when Ottawa began implementing measures to reduce temporary resident numbers.
Statistics Canada population estimates have also shown that Canada’s population growth has recently flattened, while the parliamentary budget officer expects zero population growth this year.
Canada’s immigration system also includes security screening for visitors, temporary foreign workers, international students, immigrants and refugees. Government rules allow individuals to be deemed inadmissible on grounds including security concerns, human or international rights violations and organized criminality.
Trump’s latest comments add to the growing political and economic tensions between Washington and Ottawa, particularly as Carney pursues closer economic ties with Europe and other international partners.
The Canadian government has not indicated that it accepts Trump’s characterization of its immigration policies, while the president’s comments are likely to add another point of disagreement between the two neighbouring countries.
Swifteradio.com
