Canada immigration at 50-year peak

(BBC) The Canadian government says that last year it welcomed the highest number of immigrants in more than half a century.

Canada has a population of just over 32 million people and the immigration minister, Jason Kenny, said that the new permanent residents – numbering more than 280,000 – will help boost Canada’s economic recovery.

But some critics say that the Canadian government is tightening admission for non-economic migrants and that genuine refugees could be turned away.

Mr Kenney said the government aimed to stop what he called abuses of the asylum system and human smuggling.