The Canadian government is cracking down on illegal immigration in a sudden turn of events as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces pressure from voters to take action ahead of an election expected next year.
Canada has ramped up its rejections and closed its doors to more visitors and temporary residents by approving fewer visas and turning them away at the border despite having official documents. In 2024, the country turned away, on average, nearly 4,000 people monthly. At the same time, Canada’s residents are blaming the nation’s immigration laws for spiked housing costs and shortages.
Trudeau’s liberal government, which once prided itself on being a sanctuary for illegal immigrants, is on the line after polls found that conservatives are leading by 22 percent as the issue becomes a primary concern heading into an election year.
While the number of Canadians galvanized over the cost of living and inflation is beginning to decrease, their attention is fixating on an issue that was once only glancingly thought of: immigration. New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds Canadians’ concern over immigration has risen four-fold over the last two years. The latter concern perhaps represents a ripple effect from Canada’s booming population driven by immigrants, both temporary and permanent. Another may be unemployment, especially among younger Canadians, who encountered an especially difficult summer job market influenced by a growing number of temporary foreign workers. One-in-five (19%) 18- to 34-year-olds say the lack of jobs is a top issue facing the country, as two-in-five (40%) that age fret over housing affordability as well.
In July, the country turned away 5,853 foreign travelers, who, according to Canada, were "allowed to leave." This included students, workers, and tourists.
“Canadians want a system that is not out of control,” Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller said in an August report.
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Trudeau has been critical of how the U.S. has handled its illegal immigration crisis, saying "what’s going on in the United States is wrong” after reports claimed the U.S. was separating migrant families at the border.
“I can’t imagine what the families living through this are enduring. Obviously, this is not the way we do things in Canada," Trudeau said in a 2018 statement.
Meanwhile, at home on America’s borders, the Biden-Harris Administration is on track to reach 10 million encounters well before the end of fiscal year 2024.
According to Customs Border and Protection data, encounters at the southern border ports of entry in April 2024 increased nearly 100 percent compared to April 2021.
