Where are the keys to our immigration system?

For decades, Canada could boast of having one of the best immigration systems in the world. A well-organized system that allowed it to welcome the best talents to enrich society.

Today, Canada is losing face on the international stage.

The mechanism that allows Canadian employers to bring in low-wage foreign workers creates “fertile ground” for contemporary slavery, UN Special Rapporteur Tomoya Obokata lamented this week.¹.

This is a harsh observation. But it only reveals part of the problem. In fact, Canada has lost control of temporary immigration.

Over the years, both Ottawa and Quebec have allowed a two-tier immigration system to emerge, in the greatest hypocrisy.

In the spotlight, Quebec imposes numerical ceilings and precise criteria for permanent immigration. “Take less, but take care of it,” proclaimed the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) when it was first elected.

But behind the scenes, the government is letting in non-permanent residents, three times more of whom arrived in Quebec (174,000) than permanent residents (52,800) in 2023.

In front of the microphones, Quebec makes a big deal about the increase in asylum seekers. It is true that the province is doing more than its share and we are pleased to see Ottawa thinking about a plan to better distribute the effort across the country. But Quebec is careful not to say that the growth in other categories of non-permanent residents (students, temporary workers) has been even stronger (+44%) than that of asylum seekers (+37%) over the past year.

This is good news for the underfunded CEGEPs and universities, which have found a way to replenish their coffers and keep alive programs that are lacking local students. It also makes employers happy, who want hands to do thankless tasks at minimum wage.

But for society as a whole, it is counterproductive.

Regardless, Quebec and Ottawa have granted a series of relaxations, without considering their cumulative effect, which has caused temporary immigration to explode since 2015.

They have, in a way, given the keys to our immigration system to educational institutions and employers who determine the number and profile of foreigners who arrive here, according to their own needs.

This has caused the immigration system to deviate from its objective of attracting skilled workers. And so we end up with a declining standard of living, as evidenced by GDP per capita, which has been falling for several quarters.

The federal immigration minister is now trying to put the toothpaste back in the tube. In March, Marc Miller announced plans to reduce the number of temporary immigrants to Canada, which has reached 2.8 million, by about 20 per cent within three years.

It won’t be easy.

Are they going to be shown the door? There is a risk that non-residents who lose their permits will remain in Canada anyway, without papers, a status that can lead to even worse abuses. And it would not reduce the number of foreigners on Canadian soil… unless we set up an American-style deportation system. Frankly, that would not be chic.

Are they going to be granted permanent residency in bulk? That would mean that temporary immigrants who don’t have the best profile would get passed over to more qualified candidates. Not strong.

Mind you, we could also raise permanent immigration caps to make room for them. But then we wouldn’t actually reduce population growth.

As we can see, there is no magic solution to quickly reduce the number of non-residents already in Canada.

This is why it is crucial to act upstream, by tightening the criteria for temporary immigration.

Previously, applications for permanent immigration were routed from abroad. When immigrants were accepted into Canada, they entered through the front door, with structured services.

Now students and workers are arriving with temporary status, hoping to stay long term. We can no longer continue with this two-stage system that creates frustrations and bottlenecks.

It is crucial to better align temporary and permanent immigration, which are interconnected.

It is also necessary to gradually wean employers off low-cost foreign labour, a last resort. It is one thing to recruit seasonal workers in the agricultural sector. It is quite another when manufacturing, restaurants or retail fill permanent positions with temporary immigrants.

Too easy recourse to cheap labour could have the perverse effect of slowing down investments in technology and machinery that would improve productivity in Quebec, underlines a report from the Institut du Québec.².

It’s time to tighten up temporary immigration.

Quebec, which has abundantly favoured the use of low-wage immigrants, has a duty to present a clear and logical overall vision. It is not enough to wait for Ottawa’s measures and then cry victim and demand full powers.

1. Read the article “UN Report: Canada’s Foreign Workers Compared to Modern Slaves”

2. Consult the report “The impact of temporary immigrants on the job market in Quebec”