Immigration Minister Jason Kenney to Reduce Immigration Numbers
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In late February 2009 Immigration Minister Jason Kenney indicated that his department is currently assessing how and when it can limit the numbers of applicants for Canadian work permits and Canadian permanent residence.
Liberal Jim Karygiannis indicated of the announcement: “They are going to cut back. They are going to cut back massively…This government is not a government that is pro-immigrant."
Olivia Chow, Member of Parliament and NDP critic, suggested that the number of persons applying for temporary work permits for Canada should be reduced: “In these economic hard times we should not have temporary foreign workers coming in, driving down Canadian workers’ salaries."
With respect to refugee claims, Mr. Kenney also indicated that there has bee an increase in waiting times to process refugee claims because fraudulent refugee claims are clogging up the system. In the case of Mexico, for example, 90% of refugee claims are rejected.
