Canada will admit a record 401,000 new immigrants in 2021, against the usual annual intake of 350,000. The figures will rise to 411,000 in 2022 and 421,000 in 2023 to make up for the shortfall of 2020 due to the Covid-induced restrictions. It is cheering news for Indians as they account for the bulk of immigration into Canada.  Restrictive US policies and shortage of IT and healthcare professionals are two of the many factors behind the rapid rise of Indian immigration into Canada.

In fact, Indian immigration into Canada has jumped exponentially in the last three to four years. While 39,340 Indian immigrants were admitted in 2016, the figures jumped to 85,000 in 2019 -- a rise of 105 per cent.

Similarly, the number of Indian students coming to Canada has jumped from 76,075 in 2016 to 219,855 in 2019, showing a rise of almost 300 per cent.

Thanks to the record number of students and newcomers, Indians have become one of the fastest-growing communities in Canada, with their numbers crossing 1.6 million in a country of over 37 million.

As Canada's birth rate declines, new immigrants account for 82 per cent of its population growth. Moreover, newcomers also bring billions of dollars into Canada each year.

Sectors such as healthcare, IT and farming cannot survive without new immigrants.

Since nearly 60 per cent immigrants come under the economic category, they support the economy by starting new businesses.

Government statistics say that more than 33 per cent of businesses are owned by newcomers because the Canadian ecosystem encourages people to become entrepreneurs, not job seekers.

Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino said on Friday while announcing the new immigration targets, "Newcomers are playing an outsized role in our hospitals and care homes, and helping us to keep food on the table. As we look to recovery, newcomers create jobs not just by giving our businesses the skills they need to thrive, but also by starting businesses themselves."

(IANS)