Media Release
Migrant Rights Network
Nov 18, 2024
Toronto, November 18, 2024 – In a video uploaded Sunday afternoon, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attempted to justify his government’s Conservative-like plan to force 2.3 million migrants out of Canada in the next two years. His statements, which frame migrants as disposable and blame them for systemic crises, perpetuate harmful myths and deflect from policy failures. The Migrant Rights Network strongly condemns this rhetoric, which obscures the vital role migrants play in building Canada’s economy and communities, and calls for permanent residency status for all migrants to protect their rights.
“Trudeau’s comments are a slap in the face to the millions of immigrants who have built Canada’s economy and care for our communities and who have had the rules suddenly changed on them after they have built lives here. This is not water from a ‘tap’ as Trudeau says – we are human beings, and blaming us for crises caused by the federal and provincial government’s failures is disgraceful. Immigrants are not at fault for bad housing policy or economic mismanagement who can simply be uprooted and thrown out when it’s politically convenient. We need permanent resident status for all migrants and real solutions to the crisis of affordability that is impacting migrants and citizens alike.” – Syed Hussan, spokesperson, Migrant Rights Network.
Migrants Are Not Disposable
The Prime Minister said about immigrants:
- “We could have acted quicker and turned off the taps faster.”
Immigrants and migrants are not “taps” to be turned on and off—we are people with rights, families, dreams, and potential who were promised equal rights and fairness but have been exploited and abused. Canada is not “lowering its population” – it’s uprooting millions of people who have built a life here. This dehumanizing, disrespectful and undignified framing of our families and communities is xenophobic.
Misrepresenting Migrants’ Contributions
Prime Minister Trudeau claimed:
- “The number of temporary students and workers that we admitted each year was left to the demands of the economy. It was usually a small portion of our population.”
This misrepresents reality. Temporary residents have outpaced permanent residents since 2008. This has been an intentional shift to a system that reduces people’s rights. International students alone contribute over $22 billion annually, more than Canada’s auto parts or lumber exports, while supporting over 200,000 jobs. Migrants fill critical roles in healthcare, agriculture, and technology, forming the backbone of many sectors. They are not and have not been a “small portion” but have been integral to the economic choices made by successive Conservative and Liberal governments – provincially and federally -for decades prior to the pandemic.
Scapegoating Migrants for Housing & Affordability Crises
The Prime Minister stated:
- “Our cap on international students is already bringing rental prices down in big cities.”
- “This pause is going to give our economies and communities a chance to catch up.”
- “Fulfilling that dream [of coming to Canada] depends on having a good job, a decent place to live, and healthcare that you can access when you need it. We have to make sure our population doesn’t get ahead of those things.”
International students and temporary foreign workers do not set rental prices or control housing supply. This is done by corporate landlords who renovict and demovict, provincial governments who eliminate rent control and don’t invest in public housing, and a speculative housing market that makes buying a home impossible for most.
Migrants aren’t taking from the economy – they are adding to it. Temporary foreign workers and international students contribute billions of dollars annually to Canada’s social welfare system and take nothing back – they are underwriting public services for the rest of us.
The recent changes do not ensure good jobs, a decent home or healthcare for migrants but will force them deeper into abuse.
Recent Changes Do Not Protect Migrants From “Bad Actors”
The Prime Minister said:
- “Far too many colleges and universities used international students to raise their bottom line because they could charge these students tens of thousands of dollars more for the same degree.”
- “There are really bad actors who outright exploit people, who target vulnerable immigrants with promises of jobs, diplomas, and easy pathways to citizenship.”
The government is acknowledging exploitation but blaming those being exploited. High tuition fees, restrictive employer-dependent work permits, and lack of access to permanent residency are federal and provincial policy choices that allow unfair treatment and have been left untouched by these recent changes. These announcements will result in 2.3 million permits expiring in the next two years which will worsen exploitation by making millions of people desperate and more susceptible to being preyed upon.
Stereotypes About Asylum Seekers Are Dangerous
Trudeau also claimed:
- “Some temporary residents may turn to our asylum system when their visas expire as a shortcut to stay in Canada.”
This statement fuels dangerous stereotypes about migrants and asylum seekers. Seeking safety, stability, or opportunities is not a “shortcut”; it is a fundamental human right, enshrined in international and Canadian law. It is Canada’s own immigration system that pushes migrants into undocumented or precarious statuses. The government must address these failures instead of maligning those seeking a better life.
What the Prime Minister Needs To Do:
The Migrant Rights Network calls on the federal government to:
- End scapegoating of migrants and acknowledge their critical contributions to Canada.
- Protect migrants already in Canada from all recent immigration cuts, abolish closed work permits and guarantee permanent resident status for all in order to ensure protection from exploitation.
- Invest in housing, healthcare, and infrastructure and reign in corporate interests profiting from basic needs in order to address systemic issues affecting all residents.
Prime Minister Trudeau’s remarks do not reflect the values of fairness and inclusion that everyone in Canada – citizens and migrants alike – expect. Canada’s success as a free and fair democratic society depends on welcoming and supporting migrants and immigrants, not vilifying them.
Contact:
Syed Hussan, 416-453-3632, hussan@migrantworkersalliance.org