Immigration Policy
Summary
Immigration can be beneficial to Canada’s economy and social tapestry. Ideally, Canada’s immigration policies should help address its labour skill shortages. Unfortunately, Canadian governments have relied on immigration to increase the population while neglecting the real issues faced by Canadians. Furthermore, mass immigration policies lead to underpayment of foreign workers, suppressed wages, strained social services, and increased emissions.
The Moderate Party of Canada recognizes the challenges faced by Canadian governments, but there is compelling evidence that current immigration policies are not only unsustainable but harmful. Therefore, Canada’s dependency on immigration must be decisively reduced. In response to these issues, the Moderate Party of Canada has developed a comprehensive plan to ensure a sustainable and beneficial immigration system.
How the Moderate Party of Canada Will Take Action:
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The Situation
Due to declining productivity and unaffordable cost of living in Canada, many Canadians are unable or unwilling to have children. The government compensates for the low fertility rate by relying on immigration to increase the population and boost Canada’s GDP. Little indicates that the government plans to change this mass immigration approach. [1] [2]
As a result, the underlying issues are never addressed. Moreover, this mass immigration has compounded the situation leading to more strained social services, a decrease in quality of life, stagnant or suppressed wages, and a significant increase of emissions in Canada.
How Immigration Impacts Canadian Wage
Numerous studies[3][4] indicate that an increase in immigration often leads to a decrease or stagnation of wages.
A 2006 Statistics Canada study [5] on markets in North America found that for every 10% population increase due to immigration, real wages decreased by 4-7%. This phenomenon occurs because the economy shifts towards what is known as an “employer’s market”, where employers gain more control and employees lose their bargaining power. In addition, newly landed immigrants experience lower socioeconomic mobility [6], which may increase crime or unfavourable behaviour.
In recent years, Canada’s immigration rates have been exceptionally high, significantly contributing to the country’s population growth. Between 2022 and 2023, an overwhelming 98% of Canada’s population growth resulted from immigration. [7]
While immigration can boost a nation’s GDP, it often leads to a decrease in GDP per capita, due to a loss of productivity. Furthermore, excessive immigration can contribute to rising unemployment, highlighting the need for careful management of immigration rates.
How Immigration Impacts Canadian Quality of Life
One of the pitfalls of immigration is that governments may use it to overlook the needs of Canadians. When high living costs, low wages, or a poor economy deter Canadians from having or wanting children, the resulting low birth rate leads to a progressively smaller population, which significantly impacts the economy. To compensate for this decline, the government relies on immigration to bring in foreign workers rather than addressing the issues that Canadians face. This reliance on immigration can create a vicious cycle of dependency. As long as immigrants are willing to move to Canada, governments lack motivation to improve the quality of life for Canadians. Furthermore, if the immigration rate becomes too high, it can overwhelm infrastructure and social services.
How Immigration Impacts Canada’s Fight Against Climate Change
Canada is among the top three countries with the highest per capita emissions and carbon footprint. This is due to Canada’s diverse climate—ranging from scorching to frigid—along with its geographical features, sparse population, and heavy reliance on vehicles. This is a pressing environmental concern that requires immediate attention.
Canada’s per capita carbon emissions is approximately 14 to 18 tons while the global average is around 6 tons. In contrast, countries in South Asia typically have emissions of about 2 tons per capita.The Canadian government plans to raise immigration to 1.5 million annually in 2025.
This increased migration could lead to an additional 27 million tons of carbon emissions annually, affecting Canada and contributing to the global average, exacerbating climate change. The urgency of addressing this issue cannot be overstated. Over five years, the surge in immigration could increase Canada’s emissions by an astonishing 100 million tons. Such an outcome would be highly counterproductive in the global efforts to combat climate change. [8]
The Solution
Immigration can no longer be used as a crutch to overlook Canada’s underlying issues. To effectively address these challenges, the government must tackle the root causes directly, implement sustainable and reasonable immigration policies, and explore alternative approaches to solve societal and economic problems.
Detailed Policy
Reasonable and Beneficial Immigration
Decrease Immigration
Taking a Step Back to Assess Immigration in Canada
The Moderate Party of Canada will reduce the immigration rate to a minimum rate by considering factors such as quality of life, wages, and climate change. This approach is expected to raise wages for all Canadians, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance overall quality of life. [9]
Introduce Country of Origin Immigration Cap
Sustaining Diversity of Immigrants
Limit the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program to High Skill
Investing in Canadians
The Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program allows organizations to hire foreign workers if they cannot find suitable Canadian candidates. This program helps to address skill shortages in the Canadian economy. However, companies have abused the program to hire foreign workers at lower wages, which contributes to wage suppression, and recruited TFWs for lower-skill jobs, which impacts Canadian employment.
The Moderate Party of Canada will introduce new eligibility criteria for the TFW program. Under these new requirements, a corporation can apply for the program only if it can demonstrate that the position requires skills that are unavailable. Furthermore, the TFW must be compensated above the national average wage. Additionally, a job, or any variation, may only be filled by a TFW once every five years, and the position can be held for a maximum of three years. This approach encourages corporations and society to invest in Canadians, recognizing their value and importance in the labour market. For industries reliant on lower-skill immigration, such as agriculture, the Moderate Party of Canada would provide subsidies to help modernize, reducing the reliance on immigration.
Modify the Asylum Claimant System
In recent years, asylum claims in Canada have intensified, with a significant rise in fraudulent claims. This increase has resulted in a substantial backlog of applications, requiring a considerable allocation of resources. The Moderate Party of Canada believes a more effective approach is necessary to address this pressing issue.
The party is committed to establishing asylum facilities, which will provide accommodation and meals, under the management of the Canadian Border Services Agency. Upon entering Canada, asylum claimants must present themselves at these facilities to submit their claims. They will stay at the facility for the entire duration of their claim, ensuring an efficient process until a decision is made.
If claimants leave the facility without government approval, their asylum claim will be considered abandoned. This policy promotes fairness, as any abandoned claims will initiate a cool-down period, during which the individual must wait an extended period before submitting a new claim. Asylum claims will not be accepted if the individual has left a safe country; instead, they will be required to return and apply from that safe country. Claims for asylum status from individuals who have been denied in a safe country will be automatically rejected. Additionally, individuals whose asylum claims have been rejected or abandoned must leave Canada relatively quickly.
Ban Birth Tourism (Jus Soli)
Canada is Not For Sale
Birth tourism refers to foreign nationals travelling to Canada to give birth and secure Canadian citizenship for their children. The Moderate Party of Canada will ban birth tourism by abolishing Jus Soli (the right of anyone born in the territory to citizenship) and instead implement Jus Sanguinis (the right of citizenship based on parentage). At least one parent needs to be a Canadian citizen for the child born in Canada to be granted Canadian citizenship. This proposed change aims to ensure fairness and equity in the Canadian citizenship system.