Justin Trudeau’s new immigration plan is a capitulation to Conservatives. Syed Hussan, executive director of the Migrants Workers Alliance for Change, breaks down every way Trudeau is misleading Canadians about immigration.
Anchor 1: This is a big change.
Anchor 2: A major cut to immigration, reducing permanent immigration levels by at least 20%.
Anchor 3: A new string of measures to clamp down on temporary immigrants.
Anchor 4: That means a decrease in international students, temporary foreign workers.
Trudeau: “Canada’s new immigration plan is straightforward – lower the number of immigrants coming into Canada, both temporary and permanent.”
Syed Hussan: What Justin Trudeau has isn’t a plan—it’s a capitulation to the Conservatives.
He’s not lowering the number of new immigrants, he is forcing 2.3 million migrants out of Canada
And now he’s trying to justify it.
Trudeau: “Immigration, let’s talk about it.”
Hussan: Here’s a fact check.
Text on screen: How Justin Trudeau is misleading Canadians about the immigration system
1. Bringing in more migrants wasn’t an accident. It was a bipartisan project
Trudeau: “Historically, the plan looked at permanent residents . The number of temporary students and workers that we admitted each year was left to the demands of the economy.”
Hussan: Actually, since at least 2008, Conservative and Liberals have been bringing in more temporary migrants than permanent residents.
This is an intentional shift to reduce people’s rights and make migrants more exploitable.
Anchor: “A recently released UN investigation says Canada’s temporary foreign worker program serves as a breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery.
2. Trudeau’s plan will not “protect” migrants. It will make them more vulnerable
Trudeau: “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.”
Hussan: High tuition fees, restrictive work permits, and lack of access to permanent residency are federal and provincial policy choices that have allowed unfair treatment.
They have been left untouched by these recent changes.
The government is acknowledging exploitation but punishing those being exploited.
Trudeau: “There are really bad actors who outright exploit people, who target vulnerable immigrants with promises of jobs, diplomas, and easy pathways to citizenship.”
Hussan: The Liberals plans will result in 2.3 million permits expiring in the next two years.
That will worsen exploitation by making people desperate and even more susceptible to being preyed upon.
3. Migrants are not disposable economic units
Trudeau: “As a federal team, We could have acted quicker and turned off the taps faster.”
Hussan: 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.
Canada is uprooting millions of people who have built a life here.
4. Migrants aren’t a leech on Canada—they are contributing massively.
Trudeau: “This pause is going to give our economies and communities a chance to catch up.”
Hussan: Migrants aren’t a drain on the economy—they are adding to it, and underwriting our public services that they pay into but can’t access.
International students alone contributed $31 billion to Canada’s GDP in 2022.
Migrants fill critical roles in healthcare, agriculture, and technology, forming the backbone of many sectors.
5. Migrants aren’t to blame for the housing crisis
Trudeau: “Our cap on international students is already bringing rental prices down in big cities. And if we keep it up, rents will keep coming down”
Hussan: International students and temporary foreign workers do not set rental prices or control housing supply.
This is done by corporate landlords who renovict and jack up rents, 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.
6. Seeking asylum in Canada isn’t queue-jumping—it’s a right
Trudeau: “Some temporary residents may turn to our asylum system when their visas expire as a shortcut to stay in Canada.”
Hussan: Justin Trudeau is fuelling 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.
Trudeau: “We’re making the system work for Canadians and for newcomers, rather than for the big box stores, chain restaurants, immigration consultants, and sham colleges that exploit it.”
Hussan: If he wants the system to work, here’s what he should be be doing:
End the scapegoating of migrants.
Acknowledge their critical contributions.
Protect migrants already here from immigration cuts.
Guarantee permanent resident status for all.
Reign in those corporate interests that are profiteering off basic needs.
And invest in housing, healthcare, and infrastructure for all residents of this country once and for all.
“It’s about getting to the bottom of things. It’s about unveiling who has the power and what they’re doing with that power.”
Linda McQuaig, journalist and author
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Will we be sending Ukranians back ? We airlifted thousands at the beginning of the war?
I find this piece misleading. While there are conservatives-big and small “c”- who have expressed concerns about immigration it is clear that attention and policy action is necessary in this area. For those with serious concerns this is not an attach on migrant as a whole, it is focussing a country’s ability to be able to adequately settle immigrants and to develop and protect jobs with reasonable wages and benefits for Canadian citizens and permanent residents. While both temporary and new immigrants have and continue to fill important positions in Canada it is blindingly clear that there are huge number of temporary workers being used by a wide assortment of employers are not ‘essential’. ex. Tim Horton, Weston, Canadian Tire. These companies are treating employees as ‘economic units’, refusing to pay higher wages that would attract residents, refusing to train residents for those jobs and lowering wages and opportunities for jobs. These are not seasonal workers.
Setting an immigration target for the number of immigrants that Canada will admit is a regular part of the policy and parliamentary process. Finding a balance among economic needs, family reunification, refugees and the ability and resources to offer reasonable settlement conditions such as housing and income support, medical care are important considerations. We can do it all but it means focussing on the real situation and preparing a balanced public policy. Most people aren’t playing the blame game they are trying to learn more and provide a reasonable response to the needs of migrants and residents. To say we shouldn’t attempt to set targets or policy or that everyone should stay is just irresponsible. I’d expect better from The Breach.