Canada will drastically reduce the number of its quotas for immigrants for the first time in years as part of a sharp change in the policy of the current government, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA, adding that this was an attempt by the ruling party losing public support to hang on to power.
Next year, Canada intends to grant permanent resident status to 395,000 people, compared to 485,000 this year. 380,000 permanent residence permits are planned for 2026, and 365,000 for 2027.
By 30,000 people, the number of immigrants admitted to Canada as temporary residents will decrease, according to Reuters. It is expected that about 300,000 people will receive a similar status next year. The Canadian "National Post" was the first to inform about the limit of quotas.
Canada has long prided itself on being welcoming to immigrants, but in the past year the controversy surrounding immigration has intensified. Immigrants in Canada are blamed for all the problems - from the housing crisis to the increased cost of living to the debilitating health care system, notes Reuters.
The issue of immigrants is already one of the most controversial in Canada, where parliamentary elections are due to be held by October next year.
Italian Justice Minister Carlo Nordio said the Italian court failed to comply with EU law in its ruling last week, which undermined Italy's flagship plan to house asylum seekers in Albania, Reuters reported, citing BTA , adding that the government will appeal this court decision.
Last week, a court in Rome said a group of 12 people housed in Italian migrant centers in Albania must be brought to Italy because their countries of origin cannot be considered safe based on decision of the Court of the European Union (CJEU).
Albanian migrant centers can only house men from so-called "safe countries" included on a government list, but the EU Court of Justice has said that a non-EU country cannot be declared "safe" unless its entire territory is considered free of danger.
The decision by Italian judges drew the ire of right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Justice Minister Nordio, who said politicians should be the ones to declare a country safe.
"If you read (the court rulings), ... there is no comprehensive, comprehensive or specific reasoning regarding these individual asylum seekers and therefore it is not in line with the decision of the European Court,'' Nordio said.
He told MPs that under the EU ruling - which does not directly apply to Italy - courts must provide robust explanations for decisions why a country of origin cannot be considered safe.
In order to make it harder for the courts to challenge her plans, Meloni on Monday passed an executive order to raise the legal status of the safe countries list to an actual piece of legislation, rather than a ministerial decree, which is less significant.
The government is also appealing the decision of the Rome tribunal to the Supreme Court, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi told the "Corriere della Sera". According to him, this is an opportunity to apply "unequivocally" interpretation of the law.