In British Columbia, the debate surrounding the temporary foreign worker program has intensified following recent statements from Premier David Eby and academic expert Irene Bloemraad. Eby proposed significant reforms or outright cancellation of the program, linking it to rising youth unemployment and pressures on housing and education systems. Bloemraad contended that getting rid of the program would not address the deep structural issues that have been crippling the province. The latter instance, he warned, could not only give rise to unintended labor force consequences.
At a press conference announcing the residents, Eby spoke passionately about the need for immediate action. He challenged each of them to develop immediate responses to the urgent challenges confronting British Columbia. His central claim is that the temporary foreign worker program increases youth unemployment. Further, he alleged it stressed housing and schools, arguing that getting rid of the program would create some real estate and education opportunities.
In opposition to Eby’s worries, Bloemraad, a leading sociologist, argued that abolishing the program wouldn’t fix the root problems. Though she welcomed Eby’s unequivocal position, she said she was surprised by his categorical dismissal, calling his comments devoid of nuance.
“There didn’t seem to be a lot of nuance,” Bloemraad said. “Basically accusing immigrants of driving youth employment, driving housing problems, and basically almost snatching food from the mouths of Canadians seemed a little bit extreme.”
The shortness of available housing stock has increased the vitally importance of temporary foreign workers to complete building efforts, she noted. Their collective advocacy is critical to solve our region’s affordable housing crisis. She noted that building affordable housing takes time and requires a stable workforce, which the temporary worker program helps provide.
At the same time Kristina Corpin-Moser, a migrant rights advocate, agreed with Bloemraad that the politics in the current discourse around migrant workers needs to change. She argued that casting these people as threats is just reinforcing racism and xenophobia.
“When politicians frame migrant workers as the problem, they fuel racism, xenophobia, and scapegoating,” Corpin-Moser stated.
She asserted that eliminating safe avenues for migrant laborers only increases risk. This further endangers our most vulnerable people by forcing them into more dangerous circumstances. Corpin-Moser urged the introduction of a more positive narrative, moving the blame for the province’s challenges away from migrant workers. Rather, he thinks more education and job training will do a better job of addressing youth unemployment.
The hospitable conditions for policy debate favoring a re-evaluation of immigration policies have rippled across stakeholders and regions. The group Filipino BC criticized calls for the elimination or overhaul of the temporary foreign worker program as “misguided” and “harmful.” In other words, they reinforced Bloemraad’s claim that youth unemployment impact cannot be tackled by picking on migrant workers employed in different sectors.
Conservative Dallas Brodie recently ruled that Canada should stop all immigration now. Additionally, he’d like to see critical shortages—like those that exist in healthcare—excluded from the list. Perhaps not coincidently, this view resonates with some populistic political currents that want to put the interests of Canadian citizens ahead of temporary foreign workers.
David Eby acknowledged the necessity of temporary foreign workers in sectors like agriculture but maintained his position on reforming the broader program. He stated,
“We can’t have an immigration system that fills up our homeless shelters and our food banks.”
The impeachment battle played out, the discussions about immigration and the availability of workers goes on — crop interests, manufacturer interests, everybody working to protect their claim. While Eby pushes for reform to alleviate pressures on youth unemployment and housing demands, experts like Bloemraad caution against hasty decisions that could exacerbate existing issues.
