Canada is reducing by tens of thousands the number of temporary foreign workers it brings in, reversing some expansions to the program it made in 2022 as the government struggles to bring down numbers of temporary residents.

The temporary foreign worker program brings non-Canadians to the country to work on a short-term basis. Meant to fill labor shortages, it has grown dramatically and has come under fire for suppressing wages and leaving workers vulnerable to abuse, in part because of permits that tie workers to employers.

A UN special rapporteur called it “a breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his cabinet is also considering reductions to permanent resident streams. Trudeau has been lagging in polls ahead of an election expected next year as a growing share of Canadians say Canada is bringing in too many immigrants.

“We’re looking at the various streams to make sure that as we move forward, Canada remains a place that is positive in its support for immigration, but also responsible in the way we integrate and make sure there’s pathways to success for everyone who comes to Canada,” Trudeau told reporters Monday.

He said the government will present a broader plan on immigration levels this fall.

Canada has long prided itself on welcoming newcomers but its government is under pressure to reduce the number of temporary residents, which has grown dramatically in recent years.

The government has pledged more measures to reduce the temporary resident population to 5% of Canada’s total population in three years. Its share was 6.8% in April and the Bank of Canada has said it expected that number to rise.

Changes announced Monday would end low-wage temporary foreign workers in communities with unemployment at 6% or higher, reduce the share of employers’ workforces that can be low-wage temporary foreign workers to 10% and reduce the length of a low-wage temporary foreign worker permit to one year from two.

The changes exempt certain sectors including agriculture, food processing, construction and healthcare.

Combined with changes from earlier this year, the measures are expected to reduce the number of temporary foreign workers by about 65,000, Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault told reporters Monday.

The changes were “a great first step, but it’s only a first step” said economist and Smart Prosperity Institute senior director Mike Moffatt, who called for the low-wage stream to be abolished.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Ottawa:

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday appointed Steven MacKinnon, a Liberal member of parliament from Quebec, as the new labor minister, filling a vacancy created when Seamus O’Regan stepped down for personal reasons.

MacKinnon, who had been temporarily in charge of government business in the lower chamber since January, takes over the labour portfolio at a shaky time for Trudeau’s government, with its popularity among voters slumping in part because of high inflation and a shortage of affordable housing.

O’Regan, who represents a constituency in the province of Newfoundland, announced his resignation on Thursday, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family.

A surprise loss to the main opposition Conservative Party in a once-safe Toronto constituency in a special election last month has fueled questions about the Trudeau government’s leadership and strategy. With about 15 months left before the next general election is due, a range of polls show the Liberals would lose badly to the Conservatives after being in power since November 2015.

Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper, citing unidentified sources, reported a rift between senior Trudeau aides and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland over concerns about her effectiveness in the key role.

The newspaper has also reported that Trudeau had met Mark Carney, a former Bank of Canada governor, about recruiting him into the government.

Pressed by reporters during briefings, both Trudeau and Freeland have stopped short of categorically denying that a change in the finance portfolio was in the offing.

When asked about the matter, Trudeau said he has confidence in Freeland but did not say whether she would remain as finance minister.

Freeland, who also serves as deputy prime minister, declined to say whether Trudeau had assured her that she would keep the job.

Trudeau has shuffled his cabinet once since forming a minority government after the 2021 election

The Liberal leader recruited seven new members of parliament into his cabinet in July 2023, but heavy hitters such as Freeland, Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne and Foreign Minister Melanie Joly kept their portfolios.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Ottawa:

In a stunning blow to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his Liberal Party lost a closely-watched federal by-election on Tuesday to the Conservatives from a longtime Liberal stronghold, prompting opposition leader Pierre Poilievre to demand a snap election.

In a nail-biting finish, Conservative candidate Don Stewart won the Liberal stronghold of Toronto-St. Paul’s by defeating Liberal Party’s Leslie Church by 590 votes. The contest also featured Amrit Parhar, an Indian-origin candidate from the New Democratic Party.

Toronto-St. Paul’s is a federal electoral district in Toronto, Ontario province. The Liberal Party had held Toronto-St Paul’s since 1993. It is one of 338 seats in the House of Commons.

Stewart’s victory over Church is shocking because the seat has been held by the Liberals for more than 30 years, Canadian media commented.

Before Monday, the seat was held by the Liberals for 10 successive elections. Former MP Carolyn Bennett — whose appointment as ambassador to Denmark triggered the byelection — had been the local representative for over 25 years.

“Thank you, Toronto-St. Paul’s! I am beyond humbled for the trust you have put in me and I will never take it for granted. I promise to be YOUR voice on Parliament Hill,” Stewart posted on X.

His rival, Church in her remarks after she lost the race, noted that the Liberals have got 16 months until the next election. “I plan to be the Liberal candidate in St. Paul’s. We start working to earn back the trust of voters…,” she posted on X.

“Congratulations to Don Stewart on a well run campaign. We look forward to the rematch,” she wrote.

According to the preliminary results, Stewart won 42.1 per cent of the vote with 15,555 votes cast for him, while Church received 40.5 per cent of the vote, with 14,965 ballots cast for her. The NDP candidate Parhar came a distant third with 10.9 per cent of the votes. Christian Cullis, who ran for the Green Party, received 2.9 per cent of the votes.

Losing the historic stronghold is likely to pile pressure on Prime Minister Trudeau, Global News reported.

“The Liberals’ poor showing in a stronghold like this could prompt some soul-searching for Trudeau, who has seen his popularity plummet as inflation, the cost of living crisis, high home prices and surging immigration levels drive voter discontent,” CBC News commented.

This Conservative upset is likely to lead to some anxiety in the Liberal caucus because such a dramatic vote swing could put other supposedly “safe” seats in play for the Conservatives in the next general election, expected to be in 2025, it said.

Conservative Leader Poilievre demanded Prime Minister Trudeau call a snap election after what he described as a “shocking upset” on social media Tuesday.

“Here is the verdict: Trudeau can’t go on like this. He must call a carbon tax election now,” Poilievre wrote on X.

Voters in Toronto-St. Paul’s told CBC News throughout the campaign that the government’s handling of the housing crisis, inflation and the Israel-Hamas conflict were sore spots.

But it wasn’t just about the issues – several voters expressed a desire for change and fatigue with Trudeau.

Even past and present Liberal supporters told CBC News Trudeau should resign as leader if the party loses this one-time ruby-red Liberal seat.

Trudeau, whose allegations in September last year of “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of a Sikh terrorist in Canada caused a severe strain in Ottawa’s relations with New Delhi, has given no indication he’s stepping down.

The 52-year-old prime minister has repeatedly said he will lead the Liberal Party into the federal election that is expected sometime next year.

Meanwhile, national polling shows Trudeau’s Liberal Party struggling to attract and retain support, with Conservative support growing.  A poll conducted by Ipsos for Global News suggested Trudeau’s waning popularity appears to be “dragging” the Liberals’ fortunes down.

A majority of voters (68 per cent) want him to step down, with Ipsos CEO Darrell Bricker describing the numbers as “close to rock bottom,” while Conservative Leader Poilievre, 45, is gaining ground.

That poll put the Conservatives at 42 per cent of the decided vote, with the Liberals at 24 per cent. Almost half – 44 per cent – said they felt Conservative Leader Poilievre would make the best prime minister, while 75 per cent of Canadians want another party to take government from the Liberals.

Just 25 per cent think the Liberals “deserve reelection,” Global News reported.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Canadian PM Justin Trudeau at the G7 Outreach Summit, in Apulia on Friday.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Amidst severe strain in bilateral ties, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on June 15 that there was a commitment to work together with India to deal with some “very important issues” after he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G7 Summit.

PM Modi had posted an image on social media of the two leaders shaking hands on June 14, with a one-liner saying “met Canadian PM Justin Trudeau at the G7 Summit”.

The meeting which took place on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Apulia, southern Italy, is the first amid strained diplomatic relations over pro-Khalistani extremism after Mr. Trudeau alleged that Canadian authorities are “actively pursuing credible allegations” related to Indian Government involvement in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a designated terrorist.

The Canadian allegations from last year were strongly rejected by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) as “absurd and motivated”.

“I’m not going to get into the details of this important, sensitive issue that we need to follow up, but this was a commitment to work together, in the coming times, to deal with some very important issues,” Mr. Trudeau  told reporters at a press conference in Savelletri Di Fasano in Italy on June 15, the concluding day of the three-day G7 Summit.

The last meeting between the two leaders happened on the sidelines of the G20 Summit hosted by India in September.

Soon after the meeting on June 14 evening, the Canadian Prime Minister’s Office said the leaders had a “brief discussion on the bilateral relationship”, during which Mr. Trudeau  also congratulated PM Modi on his re-election.

“Of course, there are important issues between our two countries right now. You can appreciate that we won’t be making any further statements at this time,” spokesperson Ann-Clara Vaillancourt was quoted by the Canadian Press news agency as saying.

India has been maintaining that the main issue between the two countries is that of Canada giving space to pro-Khalistan elements operating from Canadian soil with impunity.

India has repeatedly conveyed its “deep concerns” to Canada and New Delhi expects Ottawa to take strong action against those elements.

Nijjar’s murder is being probed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Four Indian nationals have been arrested in this connection by the RCMP.

PM Modi’s meeting with Mr. Trudeau came at the end of a packed day of bilateral meetings for the Prime Minister, including with French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida, German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — the host of the summit. He also had discussions with other world leaders gathered for the summit, including with U.S. President Joe Biden.

Prime Minister Modi joined leaders of Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Jordan, Kenya, Mauritania, Tunisia, Turkiye, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to address the Outreach session on Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa and the Mediterranean, along with Pope Francis, on the invitation of Meloni.

New Delhi:

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Saturday said there is a commitment to work with India on some “very important issues” amid a massive diplomatic row. 

Justin Trudeau’s remarks come a day after he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of G7 Summit in Italy on Friday.

“I’m not going to get into the details of this important, sensitive issue that we need to follow up, but this was a commitment to work together, in the coming times, to deal with some very important issues,” Trudeau told reporters.

PM Modi’s meeting with the Canadian counterpart comes amid strained ties after Canadian authorities alleged India’s involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. 

The two leaders earlier met at the G20 Summit hosted by India in September last year.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen who was wanted in India on various terror charges, was shot dead outside a Gurdwara in Surrey on June 18, 2023.

Canada’s charge against India sparked a massive row with both countries expelling diplomats of the other country.

Three Indians were arrested in Canada  in May in connection with Nijjar’s murder. India has said there are “political interests at work” in the matter and reiterated its position that separatists and extremists have been given political space in the country.

While Trudeau had claimed after the arrests that Canada is “a rule-of-law country” and the investigation into the murder is not limited to the three Indians, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that, despite warnings from Delhi, Canada has been issuing visas to people with links to organised crime.

India has been asserting that its “core issue” with Canada remained that of the space given to separatists, terrorists and anti-India elements in that country.

Ottawa:

Canada on Monday banned popular Chinese messaging app WeChat and Russian platform Kaspersky from government smartphones and other mobile devices, citing privacy and security risks. The suite of applications would be immediately removed from government-issued devices and users will be blocked from downloading them in the future, said a statement.

Treasury Board President Anita Anand, who oversees Canada’s federal public service, said the nation’s chief information officer determined the apps “present an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security.”

No breaches have been detected but the platforms’ data collection methods on mobile devices, she added, “provide considerable access to the device’s contents.”

“The decision to remove and block the WeChat and the Kaspersky applications was made to ensure that government of Canada networks and data remain secure and protected and are in line with the approach of our international partners,” Anand concluded.

Beijing said on Tuesday that Canada’s decision had been taken “without any actual evidence.”

“The Canadian government has issued a ban targeting Chinese companies under the guise of maintaining data security,” foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said.

“China firmly opposes this,” he added.

The move comes after Ottawa in February also banned TikTok — a platform owned by ByteDance in China — on government devices.

Oracle last year was tapped to store all TikTok data from US users after President Joe Biden revoked his predecessor Donald Trump’s executive orders seeking to ban TikTok and WeChat from US markets on national security concerns.

Relations between Ottawa and Beijing — already strained over tit-for-tat detentions of a Huawei senior executive and two Canadian nationals in December 2018 — hit a new low earlier this year.

Ottawa accused Beijing of meddling in Canadian elections and the attempted intimidation of MPs that led to the expulsion of a Chinese diplomat in May. 

Last week, the Canadian government warned of a “Spamouflage” disinformation campaign linked to China that used waves of online posts and deepfake videos manipulated to try to disparage and discredit Canadian lawmakers, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

A public inquiry into foreign interference accusations — which China has rejected — kicked off in September.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A view of the High Commission of India, in Ottawa, Canada.
| Photo Credit: AP

Canada has welcomed India’s decision to resume some visa services in the country from October 26, saying the move was a “good sign” after “an anxious time” for many Canadians, amid a diplomatic row over the killing of a Sikh separatist.

India’s High Commission in Canada said on October 25 that the country’s officials will resume processing some types of visa applications for Canadians applying from across the country as well as abroad.

Also read | An India-Canada bonding that is in danger of snapping

The decision came a month after New Delhi suspended the services in Canada and for Canadian citizens worldwide as tensions flared between the two nations last month following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations of the “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18 in British Columbia.

India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020. India has rejected Mr. Trudeau’s allegations as “absurd” and “motivated”.

On Wednesday afternoon, Immigration Minister Marc Miller called India’s move “a good sign” after “an anxious time” for his many Canadians.

“Our feeling is that a suspension should never have happened in the first place,” he was quoted as saying by CTV News.

He said the “really concerning diplomatic situation with India has created a lot of fear in a lot of communities.” Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan, who is also a Sikh, said the resumption of visa processing is good news, but wouldn’t speculate on what message New Delhi is trying to send.

“It’s good to see that they have resumed that. It would have been nice (if) they didn’t take it in the first place,” Mr. Sajjan told reporters.

He said it was important that Indians and Canadians can go back and forth when it comes to events such as weddings and funerals. He added that Ottawa is still seeking India’s help as police investigate the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India will resume services for entry visas, business visas, medical visas and conference visas.

Marilyne Guevremont, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada (GAC) – the department that manages the country’s diplomatic and consular relations, told CBC News that GAC is aware of the Indian government’s “decision to resume certain categories of visa processing for Canadians.” “Canada and India share important people-to-people ties and India’s resumption of visa services will make it easier for families and businesses to travel between our countries,” Ms. Guevremont.

In a statement, the Canada-India Business Council said it was “a promising development” for trade relations. “It is also a positive sign that both governments have expressed their support for bilateral business and investments amidst these unusual times,” wrote council head Victor Thomas. The development came days after Canada pulled out 41 of its diplomats from India.

Before Mr. Trudeau’s announcement dramatically heightened tensions between Canada and India, New Delhi had publicly denounced protests by Sikh separatist groups outside its diplomatic missions in Canada, as well as posters that appeared to offer cash rewards in exchange for the home addresses of Indian diplomats. India formally called on Canada to better uphold its duty to protect foreign diplomats.

India had also asked Canada to come down hard on terrorists and anti-India elements operating from its soil and suspended visa services for Canadians.

Ottawa:

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and several other Canadian MPs have been targeted by a ‘Spamouflage’ campaign connected to China, Canada-based CTV News reported.

Under this campaign, a bot network leaves thousands of comments on their social media accounts, making nefarious claims.

However, despite the situation, the Canadian government is not acting steadfastly enough to take any further action over this ‘Spamouflage’ campaign, as per CTV News.

According to a statement from Global Affairs Canada (GAC), the federal government’s ‘Rapid Response Mechanism’ (RRM) detected the campaign, which it says traces back to the People’s Republic of China.

The campaign started in early August and “accelerated in scale” over the long weekend in September. It targeted MPs across the country and across the political spectrum, posting comments in both English and French on their Facebook and X accounts, CTV News reported.

The deluge of posts claimed a critic of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Canada had accused the targeted MPs of criminal and ethical violations, including the “likely use” of deep fake videos, according to the Canadian government’s RRM.

Those targeted also included Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and several cabinet ministers, but none of what GAC observed poses a risk to their safety, the department said.

Liberal MP Omar Alghabra told reporters that he was notified by the government that he was one of the MPs who was targeted.

The former Transport Minister said that he received an email that reassured him there was “no direct threat,” but beyond that, he had little information about how that assessment was reached, CTV News reported.

Mr Alghabra said he did receive repetitive social media messages from different names and different handles directing his followers to see what an individual in Vancouver was saying about him, that he was “corrupt, and involved in a corruption.”

“It was repeatedly posted… It clearly looked like spam, it looked like spam to me at the time. And now I know that it was orchestrated,” CTV News quoted Alghabra as saying.

“Spamouflage is a tactic that uses networks of new or hijacked social media accounts to post and amplify propaganda messages across multiple platforms,” according to the Canadian government.

The team that monitors online spaces for foreign state-sponsored disinformation said the goal of this campaign was likely to discredit and denigrate MPs through what – to the average user – would appear to be organic posts, alleging impropriety by using a popular Chinese-speaking figure and silence criticism of the CCP by pushing MPs to distance themselves from the critic, while discouraging other communities online from engaging with this individual, CTV News reported.

Speaking to reporters, Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair said Canada’s cybersecurity experts are working to determine the full extent to which Canadian government officials may have been targeted.

The same bot networks have also been used in the past to spread disinformation, and the GAC said after reaching out to Meta and ‘X’ to make the platforms aware of the most recent activity, much of it is in the process of being removed.

In August, the same foreign interference monitoring system revealed it had detected an “information operation” targeting Conservative MP Michael Chong on Chinese instant messaging platform WeChat.

In a statement to CTV News, Mr Chong said the current Liberal government – which created the RRM – has not done enough to protect Canadians on Canadian soil from “threats of authoritarian governments.”

“From foreign police stations illegally operating here to interference in our elections, these foreign interference threats have disproportionately targeted diaspora communities. It’s time the Trudeau government put the safety and security of Canadians first,” CTV News quoted the Conservative foreign affairs critic.

Meanwhile, affected parliamentarians have been offered a briefing with federal officials on their findings, and all MPs have been made aware of the campaign, and provided advice on protecting themselves.

GAC has stated that it will continue to monitor the issue for future cases as these kinds of campaigns can undermine Canada’s democracy and discourage MPs and members of diaspora communities from speaking out.

However, Monday’s release offers no indication the Canadian government plans to take any further action over this ‘Spamouflage’ campaign, noting a public inquiry into foreign interference by China and other state actors, is underway, CTV News reported.

OTTAWA:

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday the Indian government’s crackdown on Canadian diplomats was making normal life difficult for millions of people in both countries.

Trudeau spoke a day after Canada said it had withdrawn 41 diplomats following an Indian threat to unilaterally revoke their status. New Delhi is angry that Trudeau last month suggested Indian agents might have been involved in the June murder of a Sikh terrorist in Canada.

“The Indian government is making it unbelievably difficult for life as usual to continue for millions of people in India and in Canada. And they’re doing it by contravening a very basic principle of diplomacy,” Trudeau said.

“It’s something that has me very concerned for the wellbeing and happiness of millions of Canadians who trace their origins to the Indian subcontinent,” he told reporters at a televised press conference in Brampton, Ontario.

Trudeau said the expulsion of some of Canada’s diplomats will hamper travel and trade and pose difficulties for Indians studying in Canada.

Around two million Canadians, 5% of the overall population, have Indian heritage. India is by far Canada’s largest source of global students, making up for roughly 40% of study permit holders.

The Indian foreign ministry earlier rejected the idea it had violated the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations.

“The state of our bilateral relations, the much higher number of Canadian diplomats in India, and their continued interference in our internal affairs warrant a parity in mutual diplomatic presence in New Delhi and Ottawa,” it said in a statement.

Canada now has 21 diplomats remaining in India.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Montreal:

Canada said Thursday it had withdrawn 41 diplomats from India — fallout from a bitter row over the killing of a Khalistani terrorist on Canadian soil.

India planned to “unethically” revoke diplomatic immunity for all but 21 of Canada’s diplomats and their families by Friday, forcing Ottawa to pull out the others, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said.

“We have facilitated their safe departure from India,” Ms Joly added. “This means that our diplomats and their families have now left.”

Relations between India and Canada have plunged since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last month publicly linked Indian intelligence to the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, which India has denied.

Nijjar, who advocated for a separate Sikh state carved out of India, was wanted by Indian authorities for alleged terrorism and conspiracy to commit murder.

“Revoking the diplomatic immunity of 41 diplomats is not only unprecedented, but also contrary to international law,” Ms Joly said Wednesday, but said Canada did not plan to retaliate in kind, so as to not “aggravate the situation.”

“Canada will continue to defend international law, which applies to all nations and will continue to engage with India,” she said.

“Now more than ever we need diplomats on the ground and we need to talk to one another,” Joly added.

– Countermeasures –

Canada has called for India to cooperate in the investigation but New Delhi has rejected the allegations and taken countermeasures, such as shutting down visa services for Canadians.

Ottawa also expelled an Indian diplomat over the affair.

External Affairs Minister SJaishankar said last month in New York that his country would be willing to examine any evidence presented by Canada.

“We have actually been badgering the Canadians. We’ve given them loads of information about organized crime leadership which operates out of Canada,” Mr Jaishankar said, referring to Sikh separatists.

“We have a situation where actually our diplomats are threatened, our consulates have been attacked and often comments are made (that are) interference in our politics,” he said.

The Indian government has called the Canadian accusations over the killing “absurd” and advised its nationals not to travel to certain Canadian regions “given the increase in anti-Indian activities.”

India also temporarily stopped processing visa applications in Canada.

Nijjar, who immigrated to Canada in 1997 and became a Canadian citizen in 2015, was shot dead by two masked assailants in the parking lot of a Sikh temple near Vancouver in June.

Canada is home to some 770,000 Sikhs, who make up about two percent of the country’s population, with a vocal group calling for creating a separate state of Khalistan.

The Sikh separatist movement is largely finished within India, where security forces used deadly force to put down an insurgency in the state of Punjab in the 1980s.

The tensions between Ottawa and New Delhi have created a delicate situation for close Canadian ally Washington, which has in recent months taken steps to move closer to India as the United States seeks to limit Chinese influence in the region.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)