Canada is facing strong pressure to reform or even cancel its temporary foreign worker programme, with political leaders from different parties calling for urgent changes. British Columbia Premier David Eby has raised serious concerns about the system, saying it has long been open to abuse and fraud. His comments have added to the growing debate about how Prime Minister Mark Carney will reshape Canada’s immigration and labour policies in the coming months.
Speaking at a press conference in Surrey, a city in British Columbia where more than 40 percent of the population are immigrants, Eby said the current system is not working fairly. He pointed to repeated reports of fraud, including the sale of labour market impact assessments (LMIAs). These assessments are documents that employers must obtain before they can hire foreign workers. According to him, many of these issues have been ignored or poorly policed, leaving both workers and communities vulnerable.
Eby stressed that while Canada does need foreign workers in industries like farming and food production, the programme must also protect the local population. “This system needs to be reformed significantly or cancelled,” he said, making it clear that his government is prepared to push for change.
His call comes just a day after Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre launched his own campaign to completely scrap the temporary foreign worker programme. Poilievre argued that the system is unfair to young Canadians because it allows businesses to hire low-wage labour from abroad instead of creating jobs for local people. This unusual agreement between leaders from both left- and right-wing parties shows that criticism of the programme is now bipartisan.
The debate also touches on wider issues like youth employment and the rapid rise in international student visas. Eby noted that Canada’s youth unemployment rate has risen faster than in many other developed countries, reaching 14.6 percent in July. He said both the temporary foreign worker system and student visas need to be part of a “grown-up” discussion between the federal government and the provinces. The goal, he explained, should be to balance the need for workers with the capacity of local infrastructure and services.
The federal government has already taken some steps to respond. In his final months as prime minister, Justin Trudeau reduced the number of temporary residents allowed into the country, though he did not cancel the programme. Prime Minister Carney has also acknowledged the challenges, saying that while businesses do rely on temporary workers, the programme must remain “focused” and carefully managed.
Eby welcomed these first steps but insisted that much more work is needed to make the system fairer, more transparent, and sustainable. His strong message signals that Canada’s immigration and labour policies could be facing significant changes in the near future, with pressure now coming from across the political spectrum.