Canada: Alberta plans referendum to wrest control over immigration from government

Alberta will hold a referendum this fall to ask residents whether the province should limit the number of new international students, temporary foreign workers and asylum seekers arriving each year. Premier Danielle Smith announced the move in a televised address on Thursday, as reported by Reuters.

Immigration policy in Canada is mainly handled by the federal government in Ottawa. The proposed referendum signals Alberta’s attempt to seek greater control over intake levels within the province.

The announcement comes as Prime Minister Mark Carney works to strengthen ties with western provinces and address separatist sentiment in Alberta.

Budget pressure and population growth

Smith said Alberta expects a significant deficit in next week’s provincial budget. She linked the shortfall partly to lower global oil prices, which have reduced provincial resource royalties.

She also pointed to rapid population growth. Alberta’s population crossed five million in 2025, according to Statistics Canada. The province has added more than 600,000 people in the past five years, the fastest growth rate in the country.

In her address, Smith said, “Throwing the doors wide open to anyone and everyone across the globe has flooded our classrooms, emergency rooms and social support systems with far too many people, far too quickly.”

Immigration debate widens

Alberta is not alone in seeing strong population growth linked to immigration. After several years of higher immigration targets under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canada has begun lowering targets and placing caps on temporary residents, citing pressure on housing, infrastructure and social services.

According to the Reuters report, an analysis by ATB Financial stated that Alberta also records high levels of interprovincial migration, with Canadians moving from other provinces in search of jobs and affordable housing.

Smith said residents raised concerns about international immigration during recent town hall meetings. She said the province will seek a public mandate to pursue changes.

The proposed measures could include legislation to restrict provincially funded programmes such as healthcare, education and social services to Canadian citizens, permanent residents and individuals with what she described as an “Alberta approved immigration status.”

(With inputs from Reuters)