Canada Must End Reliance on Cheap Foreign Labor, Immigration Minister Marc Miller Says

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Canada’s immigration minister, Marc Miller is taking steps to limit Canada’s dependence on temporary foreign labourers and international students hired by many business groups to meet their soaring needs for manpower and cut down labour costs. To nullify the demands of business groups saying there aren’t enough domestic workers available in Canada to retain parts of the country’s economy, he demanded a change in the country’s visa and immigration policy.

To prompt this, he declared a limitation and significant countdown in student visa approval in the last month. To meet his target to cut down foreign student visas by 35% for this year, he asked for information to review temporary foreign workers and different programs associated with it.  In an interview with Bloomberg News, he declared that he is going to take several steps to restrict off-campus work hours.

He added that businesses there have been addicted to hiring temporary foreign workers. Marc Miller said his ministry will keep a close look at any large industry trying to support this. Checking the ability to drive down wages, the government will take steps to offer an incentive to cut down labour costs after a larger discussion with industrialists.

Miller is struggling to cope with a huge surge of foreign students and temporary foreign workers. Their participation and involvement in the country’s economy have increased housing and other costs. His challenge to keep a balance between the country’s economic needs and the prevalent immigration system did not receive any public support in recent months.   

Unlike the US and other countries struggling to cope with a surge in undocumented migration, Canada has better control over it and population inflows due to its Geographical location.

Nevertheless, Canada is struggling to handle an increase in temporary newcomers who arrived here to work at many farms and factories in Canada or study at various Canadian colleges and universities.