Cory Morgan: On the Immigration File, the Feds Need to Act Decisively to Alleviate Canadians’ Growing Unease

Commentary

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has been holding a series of town hall-style meetings across the province to address Western alienation issues. The meetings have been heated, as some dedicated independence supporters are demanding an immediate referendum on separation while federalist hecklers have berated the premier.

Issues such as property rights and equalization are commonly discussed. Lately, immigration has become a top subject, and the reactions among attendees indicate a growing frustration with the volume and management of immigration in Canada.

In a meeting in Lloydminster, the room erupted in loud cheers when a speaker from the floor called for mass deportations. Premier Smith didn’t entertain the notion and said immigrants whose visas had expired must be managed on a case-by-case basis. Many attendees didn’t feel satisfied and want to see a more reactionary approach to immigration levels. The mood in the room could be indicative of growing unease with immigration levels, which could lead to a backlash against new Canadians themselves. Prime Minister Carney must address the immigration file more effectively.

Immigration levels had been steadily rising since 2015, and it became a top issue among Canadians as housing costs rose and health-care access declined with the influx of new people. Last October, under then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the government announced it would cut the 2025 permanent immigration targets from 500,000 to 395,000. The feds also announced a cap on temporary visas offered to workers and students. The government appeared reluctant, but it did understand the level of growth wasn’t sustainable.

Canada is on track to bring in 422,000 permanent immigrants in 2025. That surpasses the set target, but does represent a reduction. With student visas, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 66 percent fewer new study permits in 2025 compared with the same period in 2024. Temporary foreign worker numbers have been curtailed as well.

Despite the efforts to reduce immigration numbers, 60 percent of Canadians think that the numbers remain too high, according to Leger polling, while 57 percent of immigrants in Canada feel the same way. Many new Canadians are arriving to find job prospects and housing challenges they didn’t anticipate.

Even more troubling in the poll was the finding that only 42 percent of Canadians feel that immigrants can be trusted. The question is a bit loaded, and it doesn’t expand into what people are finding untrustworthy. Still, it does indicate a social divide between citizens and newcomers, which could lead to problems if it isn’t addressed.

The government must either cut immigration levels further, or change the perception that current levels aren’t benefiting Canada. It likely should do a little of both.

Dramatically reducing immigration numbers will have an adverse impact on the economy. Incoming skilled workers, whether temporary or permanent, help industries function affordably and spur growth. The government will face a backlash from businesses and other levels of government trying to fill employment positions if immigration is reduced too much. Cuts are still needed, but they must be done with targeting and care.

What’s most important is that the government shows that it has immigration under control. Not just the volume, but the management of immigrants already here. Canada has lost track of 30,000 people who had been slated for deportation. Meanwhile, the processing backlog of immigrants trying to legally enter Canada is over 900,000. If citizens can’t trust the system, the mistrust begins to spill over to the immigrants themselves. The bureaucracy must become streamlined and effective.

The reticence to deport criminal immigrants must end. Canadians were incensed when a judge reduced a sentence for an offender who solicited sex with a 15-year-old so he could avoid deportation. It has been found that judges often give reduced sentences to non-citizens with some serious offences to save them from deportation. If we won’t even deport convicted criminals, is it any wonder that citizens are losing trust in other immigrants?

The economic outlook for Canada is clouded with uncertainty due to ongoing trade disputes and challenges in diversifying resource export markets. When times get tough, an unfortunate trait in human nature is to take it out on minorities within the group. If Canada enters a recession, new Canadians could be facing increased intolerance, which leads to cultural introversion, which in turn leads inevitably to clashes. The best way to avoid this is to increase confidence among citizens that immigrant populations are sustainably managed and dangerous immigrants are being screened out before entry or deported soon upon discovery.

The honeymoon period has ended for Mark Carney’s government. People elected the Carney Liberals with high expectations, and patience will wear thin quickly if it appears they are dithering on the immigration file. They must act decisively and with a solid plan, or public trust in both the government and immigrants will be eroded.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.