Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister, Chrystia Freeland, has confirmed that there has been misuse of the international student program and the temporary foreign worker program. This statement comes just days after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced plans to curb the number of low-wage temporary foreign workers in Canada, though some sectors will be exempt.
Earlier this year, the federal government announced a cap on the number of international students in Canada. Freeland said, “We know that international students and foreign workers can contribute a lot and become great Canadians. That’s great for Canada. But there are some abuses in the system.”
Freeland blamed some unscrupulous institutions for these abuses. She said, “With international students, we’ve seen some institutions inviting them here not for a good education but to exploit them, and that’s not right.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre recently faced questions from journalists about how he would address immigration issues if elected. In response, he stated, “We need to reduce our population growth. There can be no question about that. Our growth rate must be below that of housing, healthcare, and employment.”
It is estimated that as a result of the imposition of limits, approximately 364,000 international students received study permits this year, which is 35% less compared to 2023.
The number of temporary foreign workers has increased significantly in recent years. This has been widely criticized for depressing wages for domestic workers and putting them in a precarious position. Data from Employment and Social Development Canada shows that the number of temporary foreign workers has doubled since 2016. That was the year after the federal Liberals won the election and formed the government in 2015.
Freeland said there was a rationale for increasing this program during the abnormal circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the situation has changed, the government has decided to limit the number of temporary foreign workers.
