Indians to be hit as Canada's immigration department plans 3,300 job cuts

Canada's immigration department, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), has announced it will cut 3,300 jobs, a quarter of its workforce, by 2028. It is the latest job cuts announced by the federal government in Canada after 600 temporary and on-contract employees were laid-off at the Canada Revenue Agency last year. The IRCC is the agency that processes applications for citizenship, permanent residency, and passport applications. This will slow down the immigration process and affect Indians planning to work or settle down in Canada.

The move to downsize the IRCC has been criticised by labour unions like the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Canada Employment and Immigration Union (CEIU). Employees of the IRCC are on the edge as they will come to know by mid-February if they are on the list of employees being laid off.

They were informed of these cuts or the "budget situation" via email on January 19, which IRCC later confirmed to CBC. Indians are in large numbers in Canada.

Canada also ended its fast-track visa programme last November.

The email stated that there was no certainty yet on who would be affected by these cuts, but it would include people from all sectors and branches. Employees would be informed from mid-February onwards.

"Over the next three years, we will reduce our planned workforce by approximately 3,300 positions. This will impact to various degrees every sector and every branch across IRCC, both domestically and internationally, in HQ and in the regions, and at all levels, including up to the executive level,” the IRCC said, reported CTV.

It also discussed how it plans to achieve the same.

"We estimate that about 80 per cent of these reductions can be achieved by eliminating planned staffing, terms, and other temporary staffing commitments. The remaining 20 per cent of reductions will need to be achieved though the WFA (workforce adjustment) process and will affect indeterminate employees," the email stated, reported CBC.

"Although the affected functions have been identified, the individual positions have not."

Some employment contracts could be terminated early, it said but those impacted would be given 30 days notice.

THE REASON BEHIND THESE CUTS

The IRCC said in a statement to CBC News that the department had expanded in the past due to the pandemic and was based on temporary funding.

Immigration and the housing crisis have also put Canada's economy under pressure.

These cuts are 25% of the workforce from March 2024 levels and will take it back to 2021 levels.

According to the Treasury Board, the IRCC had 13,100 employees till March 2024, increasing from about 7,900 in 2019 and 5,900 in 2014.

In October 2024, the Canadian government announced reduced immigration levels by 2027.

"Staffing within IRCC is being adjusted to align with reduced levels and permanent funding," the statement read.

This is being done to reduce spending to pre-pandemic levels.

These job cuts are part of a broader cut proposed by the federal budget of Canada in 2023. This budget outlined a 15 billion USD reduction in the next four years.

UNIONS SPEAK UP AGAINST THESE CUTS

The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Canada Employment and Immigration Union (CEIU) released these job cut details and said they will be a "devastating blow to the public services families, businesses and communities in Canada rely on."

“These massive cuts will hurt families and businesses who rely on these critical public services and make a growing immigration crisis even worse,” Sharon DeSousa, PSAC President, said in a statement. “Sweeping public service cuts always hurt Canada’s most vulnerable populations and leave thousands of workers in limbo, unsure if they’ll be out of a job next month.”

WHY INDIANS WILL BE IMPACTED BY CANADA JOB CUTS

"These cuts will only add pressure to an already strained system, leading to longer wait times for all types of immigration applications as we have already seen over the past few months,” Philipp Reichert, director of global engagement at the University of British Columbia told The PIE.

Now, there is a reason why Indians looking to India to study or work in Canada will be impacted. India is the top source country of immigrants to Canada.

"Between 2013 and 2023, Indians immigrating to Canada rose by 326%, from 32,828 to 139,715,” according a study by the Foundation for American Policy (NFAP).

Indian enrolment at Canadian universities rose more than 5,800% in the last two decades.

PEOPLE DISCUSS JOB CUTS IN CANADA ON THE INTERNET

People are worried and have taken to the internet to discuss the same.

"I mean they are slow enough already. This is just going to make things worse from immigration and economic standpoints," wrote a person on Reddit.

Others stated how this is a way to send people back home.

"They want controlled immigration.. with skilled workers... and students taking real classes. Not 3 million low skilled workers and students taking hotel management.... that are taking priority over everybody else," wrote another person.

Some Canadians even took to appreciating these cuts.

"Liberals at every level had pumped government recruitment to show high job growth. This was all at our tax money which should had been invested to help Canadians first. Glad it is happening and immigration needs to be to be slowed all across, and that is the truth of today’s changing times," said a person.

"What is going on? Is he really reforming or just cutting immigration leg and not actually declaring they are doing a moratorium?", asked another person on Reddit.