By Rebel News | Created at 2024-11-06 01:09:54 | Updated at 2024-11-06 04:32:51
5 hours ago
The Department of Immigration failed to assess the cost of hiring foreign workers over local talent. At the end of 2023, nearly 190,000 temporary foreign workers held valid work permits — a 157% increase over 2019.
According to an audit of the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program, more than 3,970,000 foreigners were permitted entry into Canada from 2014 to 2022. They mostly came from India and China, reported Blacklock’s Reporter.
The audit, Evaluation Of The International Mobility Program, found that 46% later applied for permanent residency in Canada.
Canadian employers have become “addicted” to migrant labour, Immigration Minister Marc Miller told the Senate last month.
“The program is built on the assumption that benefits to Canada from the facilitation of select foreign workers exceed any potential harm to the domestic labour market,” said Evaluation.
Yet, the Department of Immigration announced plans October 24 to reduce temporary resident numbers from 6.5% of the total population to 5% over the next three years after those numbers exploded to 7.3% earlier this year.
For the first time, the Trudeau government set targets for the number of temporary residents, which includes international students and temporary foreign workers. It did not contain targets for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
The Senate social affairs committee earlier found out the ‘true number’ of non-citizens permitted entry is quadruple the official figure. Most recent immigration data uncovered 471,550 permanent residents, 766,520 temporary foreign workers and 1,040,985 recipients of foreign study permits.
Evaluation notes the labour market impacts of the TFW program were “not monitored” by the Department of Immigration. Officials expressed no care for Canadian workers and their wages.
“The program is less aligned with commitments to consider Canadian workers first especially given the program’s continued growth,” it said.
Department officials could not comment on the extent to which temporary foreign workers or international students displaced domestic labour or suppressed wages.
A new Angus Reid poll found that 55% of Canadians believe the TFW program has damaged the local job market. Forty-three percent of respondents said they only support the program with proposed changes, while 22% want it abolished entirely.
“The era of uncapped programs to come into this country is quickly coming to an end,” Miller told Reuters.
“Businesses have taken advantage of that,” he added. “They have leveraged that opportunity.”
Cooks, food counter attendants and construction workers are among the low-wage employees in high demand, reported the Globe and Mail.
Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault previously met with several business associations August 6 detailing they could not hire temporary workers in place of qualified Canadians.
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) notes the pandemic labour shortages were no longer a concern, alluding to program cutbacks.
Federal officials earlier said they would enforce the 20% cap on foreign workers for low-wage positions — when labour needs cannot be filled locally. The cap increases to 30% for health care and construction.
Statistics Canada says Canada’s population is at more than 41 million people, according to recent data.
Alex Dhaliwal
Calgary Based Journalist
Alex Dhaliwal is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calgary. He has actively written on relevant Canadian issues with several prominent interviews under his belt.
