Ugandans hoping to move to Canada in 2025 and beyond might face a tougher road after the incoming government proposed a cap on immigration.
For asylum seeking Ugandans, this is going to deeply hurt since Canada had become one of their favourite destinations.
Mark Carney, Canada’s new prime minister made it clear after he was inaugrated last week that his government will limit immigration due to domestic concerns.
“This policy is primarily driven by domestic concerns in Canada, such as housing shortages, healthcare capacity, and economic integration,” he said.
Under Trudeau, Canada pursued an expansive immigration strategy, welcoming over 450,000 newcomers annually in recent years, with a significant increase in temporary residents, including international students and temporary foreign workers.
This led to a population growth rate of 3.2% from 2023 to 2024, largely fueled by immigration. Ugandans, like other Africans, benefited from this open policy, particularly through programs like Express Entry (for skilled workers), the Provincial Nominee Program, and study permits for international students.
While specific data on Ugandan immigration to Canada could not be readily established, it is believed that there are atleast 20,000 Ugandans in Canada.
Many Ugandans migrate to Canada for economic reasons, seeking to improve their lives. However in the recent past, many have sought refugee in Canada alleging political prosecution at home.
Under Carney, this is going to drastically change.
On the camapign trail, Carney criticized the rapid influx of newcomers under Trudeau as exceeding Canada’s capacity to absorb them, pointing to the 4-plus million arrivals in recent years.
Carney said he will cap immigration levels—both permanent and temporary—until infrastructure (housing , healthcare, and jobs) catches up. There are reports that Canada will allow at most 300,000 immigrants from allover the world down from 450,000 which has been the limit under Trudeau.
In short, Carney’s policy will likely mean fewer Ugandans can enter Canada in the near term compared to Trudeau’s high-volume approach, as the cap reduces overall slots across all streams.
