STATEMENT FROM MP JENNY KWAN ON BUDGET 2026 IMMIGRATION LEVELS PLAN
The Carney government's immigration levels plan in Budget 2026 is a failure of ambition and compassion. The claims that their new plan is a return to sustainability but the government’s own 2026 immigration report shows that permanent resident admissions through economic programs fell by nearly 20% in 2025, while temporary resident arrivals were already substantially below targets. The reductions in international students have also caused financial challenges at post-secondary institutions across the country. By refusing to properly bring the immigration levels back up to 1% of overall population, the Carney government is continuing to scapegoat new comers for government's failed policies. This is not only wrong and it is a dangerous message, one that is propagated by Donald Trump from day one of his presidency and pedalled by Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.
The one time only allocation of providing up to 200,000 permanent residents to address the existing backlog outside of the regular levels plan should be made permanent. This includes 100,000 spaces for people already in Canada through Express Entry and the Provincial Nominee program, and another 100,000 through special humanitarian pathways and family reunification for applicants from Hong Kong, Ukraine and others.
The NDP welcomes the news that Ukraine and Hong Kong Pathway applicants who have faced severe processing delays, with many backlogs estimated to stretch up to a decade will be granted permanent resident status by 2027. It took sustained pressure from the NDP, civil society organizations and thousands of Canadians to get the government to act. Through Parliamentary Petition e-7636, which received more than 20,600 validated signatures, I called on the government to expand processing capacity and honour its commitments to people fleeing political persecution and human rights abuses. This announcement is an important victory for the thousands of people and communities who refused to give up.
But this falls short of what Canada needs in the long term and abandons too many people who have and continue to contribute to Canada's economic and social fabric. It also does not address the systemic failure of a system that is allowed to exploit newcomers.
What is needed is for this temporary plan to be made permanent so that the thousands of undocumented workers, international graduates and migrant workers can access a secure pathway to permanent residency. People who have lived and worked here for years should not be left in limbo, vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.
The new immigration plan for 2027 also shows a shift of prioritizing a high volume of economic immigrants at the expense of other streams reinforces structural imbalances and worker vulnerability.
With more than 64% of permanent resident admissions allocated to economic immigration, family reunification and humanitarian commitments are pushed further down the priority list.
Families should not have to wait years to be reunited, and refugees should not be treated as an afterthought.
Canada is failing to uphold its humanitarian obligations. Refugee resettlement has been cut by 43 per cent since 2023, with devastating consequences for people fleeing war and persecution. In addition, the negative impacts of Bill C-12 and ongoing deportations have been devastating for communities. Canada must restore its commitment to refugee resettlement, including a minimum of 20,000 government-assisted refugees annually.
At the same time, the government is cutting the very settlement services newcomers rely on to build their lives. Organizations are laying off staff, reducing services and scaling back language training. These cuts are short-sighted and undermine successful integration.
Canada needs an immigration system grounded in fairness, dignity and humanitarian responsibility. We need pathways to permanent residency for people already contributing to our communities, meaningful family reunification, robust refugee protection and properly funded settlement services.
