Alberta's Immigration Policy Shift: From Welcoming to Restrictive
In a significant policy reversal, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has proposed a referendum aimed at curbing rapid population growth through immigration restrictions. This move starkly contrasts with her previous efforts to actively court newcomers to address skilled worker shortages in the province.
The Changing Landscape of Immigration in Alberta
Just a few years ago, Premier Smith was championing immigration as essential to Alberta's economic ambitions. The province faced critical shortages of skilled workers in key sectors like technology and petrochemicals, prompting aggressive recruitment campaigns. Under the "Alberta is Calling" initiative launched by former premier Jason Kenney and continued by Smith, the province offered financial incentives including $5,000 moving cost offsets to attract workers from urban centers like Vancouver and Toronto.
As recently as January 2024, Smith expressed ambitious population goals, telling Alberta podcaster Shaun Newman that she hoped to see the province's population double from nearly five million to over ten million by 2050. She envisioned this growth driven by both interprovincial migration and immigration from countries including South Africa, India, and China.
The Federal-Provincial Conflict
Smith attributes her policy shift to fundamental disagreements with changes to Canada's immigration system under former prime minister Justin Trudeau. According to the premier, the federal government shifted away from merit-based approvals toward increasing intake of foreign students, temporary workers, and non-permanent residents without sufficient consultation with provinces.
"We were doing a very targeted ask to get skilled workers here," Smith explained. "But we had no idea that Justin Trudeau was taking all limits off all those immigration programs, because they didn't ask us, they didn't tell us. They just did it."
This conflict became particularly apparent when Smith urged Trudeau to double Alberta's allocation under the Provincial Nominee Program to 20,000 permanent residents, a request that went unfulfilled. Smith characterized this as "one more example of the federal government interfering in our provincial jurisdiction."
The Referendum Proposal
On Thursday, Smith presented five referendum questions scheduled for October 2026 that would:
- Reduce immigration rates into Alberta
- Cut social services available to new immigrants
- Propose constitutional changes giving provinces more control over immigration levels
- Implement other restrictive measures on population growth
This represents a dramatic departure from Smith's previous position that attracting newcomers would not only fuel economic growth but also increase Alberta's influence within Confederation, preventing the province from being "treated as a junior partner."
Statistical Context and Implications
Interprovincial migration into Alberta peaked in the third quarter of 2023 with 16,500 newcomers entering the province, according to public data. This influx was part of the broader population growth strategy that Smith now seeks to constrain through her referendum initiative.
The policy shift raises important questions about:
- How Alberta will address ongoing skilled worker shortages in key industries
- The economic impact of reduced population growth on provincial development
- The future of federal-provincial relations regarding immigration policy
- The potential constitutional implications of provincial demands for greater immigration control
As Alberta prepares for the 2026 referendum, the province finds itself at a crossroads between its previous welcoming stance toward newcomers and a new restrictive approach shaped by disagreements with federal immigration policy.
