Canada is ready to take in more than 1 million new migrants over the next three years

Canada, everyone’s new favourite country, has announced its plans to take in more than one million new permanent residents in the next three years.

So, what are you waiting for?

While America is driving hard to stopping the influx of immigrants with the construction of its famous wall, Canada is seeking for ways to offset its aging population by taking in more than one million new permanent residents in the next three years, according to CNN.

This statistic means that Canada plans to take in nearly one percent of the country’s population each year.

In 2017, Canada welcomed more than 286,000 permanent residents and the country projects that numbers could rise to 350,000 in 2019, 360,000 in 2020 and 370,000 in 2021.

In a statement on Thursday, Canada’s minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC), Ahmed Hussen, an immigrant from Somalia, thanked all the immigrants who have helped develop Canada into a “strong and vibrant country” and explains that the decision to take in more immigrants was to help offset the country’s declining birth rate while growing its labor force.

As for Nigerians, this is great news for those who plan on migrating.

Nigerians jumping ship to Canada

The number of Nigerians living in Canada crossed 33,000 in 2016 and the number keeps rising. Over the last decade, Canada has become a choice destination for Nigerians wishing to relocate.

However, the migration of Nigerians to Canada can actually be traced to the Biafran War. By 1973, three years after the war, Nigerians were identified separately by immigration authorities. From 1973 to 1991, there were 3,919 Nigerians in Canada. This number has incrementally increased since then.

Due to the high number of applications, the process of obtaining legal visa entry into Canada has become increasingly difficult. Nigerians who couldn’t succeed at the pool took to the refugee option, making Canada toughen its asylum policies.

Read more at: