Prime Minister Mark Carney's government has released new immigration statistics after facing criticism from the Conservative Party for allegedly withholding data. On Friday, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada updated its website with information on asylum claimants, international students, and foreign workers, as well as details on applications stuck in the department's backlog.

Despite over 2.2 million immigration applications awaiting a decision, the number of temporary residents, which includes international students, foreign workers, and refugee claimants, decreased in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Critics argue that the Liberal government's high immigration levels have contributed to Canada's rapid population growth, straining the housing market and healthcare system.

In response to these concerns, the government has reduced the 2025 intake of new permanent residents by 21 percent to 395,000. Additionally, new study permit holders will be cut by 10 percent to 305,900, and new work permit holders will decrease by 16 percent to 367,750.

The lack of updated public data over the summer drew criticism from the Conservative Party, which has called for greater transparency. "How many illegal border crossings have we had? How many more asylum claims have piled on to an already backlogged wait-list?" asked MP Michelle Rempel Garner, the Conservative Party's immigration critic. "Whatever the numbers are, Canadians have a right to know."

According to the Immigration Department, 36,417 new international students arrived in Canada from January to June, a significant drop from 125,034 during the same period in 2024. The number of new work permit holders also fell to 119,234 from 245,137.

The government stated, "The number of new students and workers arriving in Canada is declining — a clear sign that the measures we’ve put in place are working. This downward trend reflects our commitment to a well-managed and sustainable immigration system."

Asylum claims also showed a downward trend, with 57,440 new claims referred to the refugee board from January to June, down from 91,540 in the same timeframe last year. However, the total number of immigration applications in the system has continued to rise. As of July 31, there were 2,222,600 applications in the queue, including 901,700 cases that are considered backlogged. The number of pending asylum claims has also increased, with 291,975 awaiting a decision by the refugee board, up 25 percent from 232,751 a year ago.