Ottawa has no plans to broadly give residential status to undocumented migrants working in Canada, Immigration Minister Marc Miller says.
“As frustrating as that is to hear for people that are in a precarious position of being undocumented in Canada and are contributing to the economy — and perhaps kids that are Canadian — I think we have to be quite clear with Canadians and quite realistic about what’s achievable,” Miller told CBC News.
“Despite the economic imperative, despite the very humanitarian imperative that a broad regularization program presents, it is clear to me that Canadians are not there and that’s just reality.”
Miller mentioned that he is still “actively considering” the possibility of granting status to undocumented migrants employed in specific sectors, including health care and construction.
In late 2021, the Liberals promised to “explore options for regularizing status for undocumented workers who are contributing to Canadian communities.” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has stated that there is no set timeline for implementing this proposal.
Miller has estimated that the number of undocumented individuals in Canada ranges from 300,000 to 600,000.
The government has faced pressure from migrant advocacy groups, such as the Migrant Rights Network, which in May called on Miller to advance the government’s proposal.
Immigration has increasingly become a contentious issue, particularly in relation to affordability concerns like housing. A Leger poll from July revealed that 60 percent of respondents believe Canada is admitting too many immigrants.
In March, Miller announced that Ottawa aims to decrease the proportion of temporary residents from 6.2 percent to 5 percent by 2027.
“We need to be practical and realistic about whether we can achieve this goal in a way that reassures Canadians we are capable of doing so within the next year,” he said.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) stated earlier this month that the upcoming immigration levels plan will include measures to address the rise in temporary residents.
“The levels plan will expand to cover both temporary and permanent resident arrivals. It will be presented this fall following consultations with provincial and territorial partners and other stakeholders as part of Canada’s annual levels planning,” the statement explained.
