Senate calls for comprehensive immigration data disclosure

The Senate social affairs committee has urged the Canadian government to include all categories of foreigners in its annual Immigration Levels Plan, noting that the true number of people entering Canada is four times the official figure.

"Numerous witnesses agreed the Immigration Levels Plan or annual report to Parliament should include projected levels for migrant workers and international students to provide a complete and comprehensive picture of Canada’s immigration plan," stated the committee's report. The report emphasized the need for all figures to be plainly disclosed.

Blacklock's Reporter said last year, the Department of Immigration reported 471,550 immigrants admitted under federal quotas. This number did not account for the additional 766,520 temporary foreign workers and 1,040,985 recipients of foreign study permits.

"The Department of Immigration bears the majority of responsibility for federal immigration planning and programming," the senators wrote.

"However, the committee often heard it has been challenging to identify a single cohesive immigration and migrant labour strategy that is not simply a patchwork of reactive policies and programs."

The senators noted that the department’s annual Immigration Levels Plan, which outlines targets for the next three years, has traditionally excluded figures for temporary foreign workers. In November 2023, the department announced goals to welcome 485,000 new permanent residents in 2024, and 500,000 in both 2025 and 2026.

The report also highlighted that the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, introduced in 1973 to address labor shortages, has become a long-term solution rather than a temporary measure.

"It is clear the Temporary Foreign Worker Program is neither temporary nor a last and limited resort," the senators wrote.

In addition to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, Canada has utilized the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program since 1966, which allows farmers to bring in laborers from Mexico and the Caribbean for eight-month contracts.

Calls for a review of immigration policy have gained traction. On February 12, the House of Commons adopted a Bloc Québécois motion to revise immigration quotas, passing by a vote of 173 to 150.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller opposed the motion, emphasizing Canada's commitment to openness and growth.

“There is no doubt that we have made a conscious decision to be an open country and a country that needs to grow,” Miller said in a March 27 interview with U.S. National Public Radio.
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