Justin Trudeau has announced that he is planning to reduce the number of low-wage, temporary foreign workers and permanent residents being allowed into Canada.
Justin Trudeau has announced that he is planning to reduce the number of low-wage, temporary foreign workers and permanent residents being allowed into Canada. This comes as Canada is struggling to deal with a rapidly growing population that, according to some economists, has been putting pressure on housing and public services like healthcare.
Justin Trudeau took to X to make the announcement. “We're reducing the number of low-wage, temporary foreign workers in Canada,” he wrote. “The labour market has changed. Now is the time for our businesses to invest in Canadian workers and youth.”
‘Canada remains a place that is positive in its support for immigration'
The federal statistics revealed that the majority of Canada's population growth last year, which was about 97%, was driven by immigration. Trudeau and his government have often been called out for increasing immigration without bolstering services or housing construction.
Justin Trudeau said at a press conference that changes to the labour market have prompted him to eye an overhaul to the temporary foreign workers programme. “It's not fair to Canadians struggling to find a good job, and it's not fair to those temporary foreign workers, some of whom are being mistreated and exploited,” he said, according to BBC.
The Temporary Foreign Worker programme allows foreign nationals to be hired by employers in Canada to fill temporary jobs in the absence of qualified Canadians. Labour advocates have criticised the programme. Recently, the UN called it “a breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery” in a report.
Meanwhile, Trudeau also said that his cabinet has been considering reductions to permanent resident streams. The Prime Minister has been behind in polls as Canadians say Canada is bringing in a huge number of immigrants.
“We're looking at the various streams to make sure that as we move forward, Canada remains a place that is positive in its support for immigration, but also responsible in the way we integrate and make sure there's pathways to success for everyone who comes to Canada,” Trudeau told reporters, Reuters reported. He added that this fall, the government will come up with a broader plan on immigration levels.
