Shattered dreams on Canada Day: Broken immigration promises are based on false narratives

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With Canada Day almost upon us, some new Canadians will celebrate in nationwide citizenship ceremonies—but countless migrants are facing the reality that they may never reach that milestone.

The Canadian immigration system is changing rapidly, challenging Canada's reputation as the "gold standard" for immigration policy. Amid growing uncertainty and xenophobia, temporary migrants, including international students, are left with fewer choices.

Some have depleted all their savings—paying tens of thousands of dollars in tuition, getting paid $7 an hour, if at all—only to find out that the permanent residency route they'd invested in for years has now been removed.

Rapid policy changes are, as the Migrant Rights Network notes, "pushing people out at more than 3,000 per day."

The International Study Program that sets out rules for foreign nationals studying in Canada has seen more than 25 changes since 2023, drastically reducing numbers beyond previous targets. The Liberal government adopted Bill C-12, the Strengthening Canada's Immigration System and Borders Act, which introduces major amendments across multiple federal laws.

Ontario, British Columbia and Manitoba have also removed dedicated pathways for international graduates.

Although some changes aim to "make it clear that asylum is not a shortcut to permanent immigration," as many have repeatedly pointed out, framing international students as "queue-jumpers" sidesteps real questions.

Within Canada's "two-step" immigration system, migrants first enter the country temporarily through work or study permits. Once they meet certain criteria, such as gaining "Canadian work experience," they may be invited to apply for permanent residency.

But this has changed rapidly. As a settler-colonial state, Canada has historically preferred predominantly white, European permanent residents. Although explicitly exclusionary policies are less obvious today, there are still inherent problems in the system that must be addressed.

While presented as a win-win solution, Canada's emphasis on temporary migrants since the mid-2000s has been criticized for creating what some call "probationary precarity." In fact, the United Nations special rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery reported that Canada's temporary foreign worker program is a "breeding ground for modern slavery."

Although the government has addressed some concerns, issues re