Conservative MP Jamil Jivani calls for an end to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program
Response from the government
Immigration problem in Canada
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Conservative Member of Parliament from Ontario, Jamil Jivani , has initiated a petition to terminate Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), asserting that it significantly contributes to unsustainable immigration levels and adversely affects Canadian workers by taking away their jobs.He says the program is a "large contributor" to an unsustainable level of immigration.Jivani links immigration to various systemic issues in a social media post as he states, "There's a pretty clear consensus, even across people with different political views, that immigration levels are just unsustainably high.""Anyone who goes to a hospital can see there are not enough beds. Anyone who goes to look for a family doctor can't find one. You go to buy a house, there's not enough of those. You go to find a job, there might not be one of those for you either."His petition specifically excludes temporary workers in the agricultural sector, suggesting that seasonal agricultural workers should be under a separate program.Jivani pointed to Statistics Canada 's May jobs report, highlighting youth unemployment as a driving factor for his petition, which indicates that the unemployment rate for individuals aged 15 to 24 reached 14 percent in April this year.Employment Minister Patty Hajduin response remarked, "I know MP Jivani wasn't included in Andrew Scheer's shadow cabinet, but he may want to ask that the party resume briefing him, because if they had, he'd know that in the last year alone, we considerably scaled back the TFW program to reflect local labour needs."She added that the government is consulting with labour and industry groups about future changes to the program and stated it "in no way" replaces Canadian talent. She emphasized the program's importance, noting it is "vital" to the agricultural sector and tourism industry.Jivani appears to be acting independently with his petition, as he does not hold a Conservative critic position. The roles of immigration and employment critics are held by Alberta MPs Michelle Rempel Garner and Garnett Genuis, respectively.The federal government has announced plans to reduce the number of temporary foreign workers admitted to Canada. This includes refusing to process applications in metropolitan areas with unemployment rates exceeding six percent. The government aims to admit 82,000 workers annually under the TFWP from 2025 to 2027, according to its immigration levels plan.Canada's immigration system is facing challenges as rapid population growth strains housing, healthcare, and education, leading to shortages and increased competition for resources.Prime Minister Mark Carney has proposed stabilizing permanent immigration levels, reducing temporary residents, and capping temporary residents to 5% of the population by 2027.His approach aims to balance economic needs with infrastructure capacity and social cohesion.
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