WES Weekly Roundup July 24, 2024

_{World Education Services (WES) is a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to helping international students, immigrants, and refugees achieve their educational and career goals in the United States and Canada. The weekly roundup includes research, stories, and events of interest to the Canadian immigration and settlement community. This content has been created by WES and is reproduced here with their permission, in partnership.}

OPINION: Trudeau-Legault immigration meeting shows federation at its cynical worst (MLI)

Canada once had a robust immigration system focused on economic growth and humanitarian aid, but current policies have led to "mass migration," straining Canada's infrastructure. As Canadian premiers gathered with the Prime Minister for the summer Federation Summit, immigration was at the top of the agenda - with Quebec Premier, Francois Legault stating that the province can no longer sustain admittances for asylum seekers, while other provincial leaders are negotiating additional power to govern their immigration policy. Immigration, being a federal jurisdiction, has led to calls for the federal government to better address provincial needs and balance support for vulnerable populations with the capacity of provincial and municipal systems. Experts are urging the federal government to improve coordination among all levels of government to maintain an effective and orderly immigration system.

‘Shocking and unjustifiable:’ Canada is deporting migrants at its highest rate in more than a decade (The Star)

Canada is deporting migrants at its highest rate in over a decade, with nearly 29,000 deportations since 2022, costing over CAD 115 million. This surge contradicts the federal government's promise to regularize the status of undocumented workers to address labour shortages. In 2023 alone, CAD 62 million was spent on deportations, marking the highest annual amount in over ten years. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) attributes the increase to the expansion of the Safe Third Country Agreement and fluctuating removal numbers. Advocates argue that these deportations create a climate of fear among undocumented workers, exacerbating their exploitation and vulnerability. They call for the government to honour its commitment to regularize undocumented migrants, who often work in essential but precarious jobs. Delays in implementing this program, despite consultations and previous government promises, have left many facing deportation and critical circumstances. The high cost of deportations and the ongoing labour shortages underscore the need for a comprehensive regularization program to integrate undocumented workers into the economy, providing them with rights and access to social services. This would help address job vacancies and improve the well-being of undocumented residents.

Canada’s new care worker immigration programs need faster processing times to keep families together (The Conversation)

The Canadian government recently announced a new pilot program for in-home migrant care workers, set to launch in late 2024 - early 2025. The new initiative is promised to grant immediate permanent residency to nearly 15,000 migrant care workers upon arrival: addressing concerns for workers with precarious and/or temporary status. However, many internationally trained care workers (ITCW) currently in Canada continue to be in limbo due to pending permanent residency applications and are experiencing prolonged family separation. Advocates warn that although this is a critical first step in advancing pathways to permanent residency for care workers, worry is growing over whether the federal government has the capacity to meet its target. Since 2019, only 5,700 ITCWs and their families have been admitted, despite application rates exceeding this amount. According to IRCC, since March 2023, nearly 30,000 permanent residence applications have been received from ITCWs currently in Canada and their families abroad that still await processing. IRCC estimates also indicate that roughly 600 applications from migrant care workers remain from the now defunct "Live-In Caregiver Program", lying dormant for more than 10 years. Despite an objective to process applications within a six-12-month period, applications on average have taken 24-37 months to be processed. Advocates and care givers alike are calling for increased efficiency to facilitate labour market integration and family reunification.