By 2041, Immigrants Could Make Up 34% of Canada’s Population. It’s Time to Stop the Hate

Even with recent cutbacks in immigration , even with the moves by Ottawa under Mark Carney to slow down inflows, Canada is still barreling down a path where immigrants are set to make up a massive portion of the population in the coming decades. According to projections by Statistics Canada, immigrants could comprise as much as 34 per centof the population by 2041.

As someone descended from Ghanaian immigrants, I’m not anti-immigrant,  far from it. I see the hustle, the dreams, the sacrifices. Canada, at its best, offers hope and possibility. But I also believe in a simple, honest principle: there should be fairness in the “right amount, right kind, right process.” That means no double standards, no group sailing in because the rules are loosened for them, while others have to jump through hoops.

I’m thinking about situations like when certain nationalities get visa waivers or simplified entry rules, while immigrants from African countries,  eye you, my people, are stuck navigating a complex, often punitive system. In fact, visa applications from African countries (visa, student, work), face rejection rates between 65 and 79% according to the Canadian Bureau for International Education. A stark contrast to the much easier entry for some other regions.

If we’re embracing immigration, let’s do so equitably. If we’re going to set criteria, let them apply universally, and with dignity.

In the shadows of demographic debates and immigration policy, there’s a darker current rising, a chorus of hate. Across this country, extremist groups are parading around with signs calling for “Mass Deportation,” shouting about “taking back Canada,” and pushing narratives drenched in fear and bigotry.

This isn’t just political posturing, it’s hate. It’s danger. If Canada really prides itself on “true patriot love”, the unity and shared dignity professed in our anthem, then we’ve got to call this out. Loudly. Because there is no room for fearmongering, xenophobia, or this twisted idea that immigrants must be contained, expunged, segregated.

Canada needs a reckoning: a recommitment to values of fairness, justice, and inclusion. Immigration policy must be consistent and transparent, with no back-door loopholes for some while others face systemic barriers. New Canadians,  whether from Ghana, Mexico, India, Nigeria, or anywhere, deserve access to housing, services, opportunity, and dignity. Extremist hate and patriotic posturing demanding “deportation” must be rejected.

If Canada wants to be a true nation of immigrants, it must embrace pluralism, hope, and realism.

I love that Canada can be home for folks like my parents, people who left their country to build better lives for themselves and their children. But love isn’t the same as blind acceptance. If we open our doors, we must also open our eyes: see the people, the potential, the lived human dignity.

Let’s demand equity in policy, fairness in practice, and zero tolerance for hate. Because when we treat immigration like a mere number or statistic, we lose the humanity that makes Canada worth fighting for.