e-4956 (Citizenship and immigration)

Petition to the House of Commons

• Per StatCan, in 2023, Canada had a record 1.2 million newcomers, while only started constructing 240k units. Rent reached a record high, affordability a record low;
• IRCC warned, "In Canada, population growth has exceeded the growth in available housing" and “rapid increases put pressure on health care and affordable housing”;
• Immigrants are not a homogeneous group. High-skilled immigrants contribute massively, we need them! Low-skilled immigrants compete for entry-level jobs with youths and seniors, limiting their employment;
• In 2014, then MP Trudeau criticized the temporary foreign worker (TFW) program, “It is bad for our economy in that it depresses wages for all Canadians”. Today, under PM Trudeau, TFWs doubled, the international student program became another source of cheap labour, while wages stagnated and real GDP-per-capita is back to 2011;
• In March, Canada's unemployment rate jumped to 6.1%. According to National Bank, “It is impossible for the labour market to absorb such a large number of newcomers”;
• The Liberal government’s “housing accelerator” hopes to complete 750,000 homes in 10-years. Yet, if their immigration policy keeps pace, Canada will add 12 million newcomers in that period. RCMP reports, “Many Canadians under 35 are unlikely ever to be able to buy a place to live”; and
• The biggest housing price increases in the G7 and depressed wages have created a crisis in Canada where the quality-of-life has declined year-after-year.