A record 429,649 foreigners came to live in Canada last year, the interior ministry said Friday, claiming the success of the government's program to bring in immigrants to address labor shortages.
"These numbers show that our immigration program is responding to Canada's needs, particularly our economic needs," said immigration minister Diane Finley.
But the opposition liberals accused the government of inflating the figures with temporary workers and students. According to the ministry, almost 30 percent of those admitted to the country in 2007, some 178,000 people, came on a temporary basis.
