Immigration, especially the Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) program, is shaping up to be a top concern as Canada’s parliamentarians return to the House of Commons Sept. 15. 

It's much like last year, when immigration was a hot-button issue in what would turn out to be Justin Trudeau's waning months as prime minister.

A major difference, of course, is the sparring partners. This time Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre will instead go head to head with Prime Minister Mark Carney rather than the departed Trudeau. And Don Davies will now speak on behalf of the NDP until a new leader is elected in March 2026. Last year, Jagmeet Singh was still in the chamber propping up the increasingly unpopular Trudeau.

Advertisement

Poilievre has heightened the debate early, calling on the federal government to scrap the TFW program even before MPs meet, saying it has flooded the jobs market with cheap labour and reduced working opportunities for young Canadians.

"The Liberals have to answer, 'Why is it that they are shutting our own youth out of jobs and replacing them with low-wage, temporary foreign workers from poor countries who are ultimately being exploited,' " said Poilievre Sept. 3.

Statistics Canada reported in August that the employment rate for youth fell to 53.6 per cent in July — the lowest percentage since November 1998 outside of the two pandemic-dominated years of 2020 and 2021.

Carney, when asked by a reporter on the same day if it is time to shut down the program, said “that program has a role. It has to be focused in terms of its role." He added that the Liberal immigration policy is to bring the overall proportion of the population down from seven-per-cent to five-per-cent immigrant “several years from now.”

Carney said there remains a place for the program as “when I talk to businesses around the country, particularly in Quebec, but elsewhere across the country, their No. 1 issue is tariffs, and their No. 2 issue is access to temporary foreign workers.”

Advertisement

In everyday Canadian households, however, that doesn't appear to be the case. According to a Sept. 8 Abacus Data poll, a 44-per-cent plurality support Poilievre’s position, and 30-per-cent oppose. Notably each of the 18-29, 30-44 and 45-59 age brackets expressed support of scrapping the program, while more participants aged 60 and up opposed.  

While the political debate rages, various Catholic organizations across the country that intersect with TFWs will continue their work. The Catholic Centre for Immigrants (CCI) in Ottawa and the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS) are among the non-profits that provide assistance to these labourers.

Jeremy Bouchard, the strategic communications manager for CCI Ottawa, wrote in an email the agency’s goal is “to ensure Temporary Foreign Workers feel supported and informed as they navigate their settlement journey.” CCI assists in renewing work permits, applying for health cards and registering children in school, while also providing access to legal advice and housing support.

Jessica Juen, who coordinates the TFW support services for CCIS, said the supports, also available to people coming to Saskatchewan and Manitoba via the 14-organization TFW Hub, ranges from case management, settlement and health referrals, interpretation, mental health, transportation and short-term shelter and housing, among others.

Juen shared her perspective on the shift in public opinion towards immigrants in recent months.

“They came here because it was already determined they were needed because there is a labour shortage,” said Juen. “My personal opinion that there were a lot of foreign workers who were chartered during the pandemic period because Canada needed workers. We need someone to look after the farm to make sure Canadians have food on the table, to make sure there were people to clean the hotels and serve coffee.

“I find it to be transactional. When we needed foreign workers we open our doors, but when they are no longer needed there are policies put in place to ship them out.”

Advertisement

She also rejects the assertion that foreign workers are “trying to insert themselves here” as it is employers who initiate the process to bring workers to Canada.

Both Juen and Carney noted that the temporary foreign workers program is not the largest driver of the growth in Canadian immigration system. There were 1.9 million International Mobility Program (IMP) permits issued in 2024, compared to over 230,000 TFW permits.