Canada’s Alberta to Hold Referendum on New Restrictions for Immigrants

The Canadian province of Alberta will hold a referendum on restricting immigration and reducing newcomers’ access to public services as it grapples with falling crude prices and a growing budget shortfall.

The oil-rich region plans to hold a vote on Oct. 19 asking voters if they support the provincial government taking more control over immigration, in order to bring the influx of newcomers to “more sustainable levels,” Premier Danielle Smith said in prepared remarks for a television address Thursday.