Canada to crack down on temporary foreign workers to curb immigration; PM Justin Trudeau says, ‘Not fair to Canadians…’

Amid escalating diplomatic tensions with India, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he plans to lower the number of low-wage, temporary foreign workers and permanent residents being let into Canada.

“We’re going to have fewer temporary foreign workers in Canada. We’re bringing in stricter rules for companies to prove why they can’t hire Canadian workers first,” Justin Trudeau wrote in a post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Trudeau's post comes amid Canada's grappling with a rapidly growing population that economists say has put a strain on housing and public services like healthcare. Data from federal statistics have shown that 97 per cent of Canada's population was due to immigration.

‘Not fair to Canadians…’

Addressing a press conference, Trudeau said he is looking to overhaul the temporary foreign workers programme because of changes to the labour market.

“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,” BBC reported quoting Trudeau.

The Temporary Foreign Worker programme allows employers in Canada to hire foreign nationals to fill temporary jobs when qualified Canadians are not available.

The programme’s use by employers has surged in recent years in industries ranging from agriculture to construction. For instance, in 2023, nearly 183,820 temporary foreign worker permits were granted, according to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), which is an 88 per cent increase from 2019.

While Canada may have welcomed immigrants in the past to boost its economy, lately, Trudeau's Liberal Party has witnessed a drop in public opinion polls as the Canadian leader is under immense pressure over unchecked immigration.

A Canadian government source told Reuters that the country will see a dip of about one lakh permanent residents as compared to the current figure of 485,000. Canada will have 395,000 new permanent residents in 2025, 380,000 in 2026 and 365,000 in 2027 said the source.