Ottawa goes back on its promise of mass regularization of undocumented immigrants

Photo: Sean Kilpatrick The Canadian Press Immigration Minister Marc Miller

Agence France-Presse in Ottawa

Published yesterday at 9:44 p.m.

• Canada

The federal immigration minister on Wednesday closed the door on a plan to regularly bring in undocumented immigrants on a massive scale before the next election, a promise made by Justin Trudeau that had raised the hopes of hundreds of thousands of migrants.

The promise by the Canadian prime minister dates back a few years, but since then, polls have shown a noticeable shift in public opinion on immigration after years of a policy seen as very open.

“There is no plan for massive regularization on the agenda, at least before the next election,” Immigration Minister Marc Miller told reporters in Vancouver after meeting with business leaders.

“That doesn't mean that in some areas where we need essential labour there won't be the possibility for some sort of regularisation on a smaller scale,” he added.

Between 100,000 and one million people are undocumented in Canada, according to various estimates.

Questioned in May by AFP, the minister continued to promise an “ambitious” programme in the coming months but acknowledged that it “would not be for everyone”.

Canada has sought in recent years to reduce the number of migrants, whether they are asylum seekers, foreign students or temporary workers, through reforms.

“It is clear that the era “The unlimited supply of cheap foreign labour is over,” Minister Marc Miller commented.

Shortly after Donald Trump was elected in the United States last week, Canadian authorities said they were on “high alert” over the Republican billionaire’s promises of mass expulsions of migrants.

But Marc Miller said Wednesday that he expected cooperation with Washington to continue: “There is an alignment of interests to make sure [the border] is safe and secure,” with illegal crossings having increased in recent years.