Cabinet, though currently prorogued, is considering a “regularization” program for illegal immigrants providing they work in construction. “We’re reserving space for up to 6,000 undocumented workers … to participate in a new construction pathway,” Immigration Minister Marc Miller said March 7.

Blacklock's reported that the proposal will expand a temporary program aimed at home builders in the Greater Toronto Area, which experienced the brunt of the housing shortage.

The program, released in 2019, gave status to 500 undocumented workers in exchange for their labour services near Toronto. Another 500 people could apply for the program in January of 2023.

This is a win-win, said then-immigration minister Sean Fraser. “By providing regular pathways for out-of-status migrants, we are not only protecting workers and their families, but also safeguarding Canada’s labour market.”

Refugees and illegal immigrants are taking up nearly 4,000 hotel rooms across Canada on the taxpayer dime

Refugee claimants are currently living on the taxpayer dime with free meals and medical care, with room and board costs pegged at $224 per day.https://t.co/0wR0cdEwyr

— Rebel News Canada (@RebelNews_CA) August 2, 2024

In 2021, then-prime minister Justin Trudeau instructed Fraser to “further explore ways of regularizing status for out-of-status workers who are contributing to Canadian communities.” 

The Temporary Public Policy for Out-of-Status Construction Workers was introduced during the pandemic. To date, it has provided permits to 1,365 labourers and tradespeople, and will be expanded.

The Canadian Labour Congress, a national union group, defines out-of-status workers as individuals who entered Canada with residency permits but lost their legal status and found employment in the construction sector.

Miller’s department in a briefing note last April 24th discussed ways to “regularize those without immigration status” instead of deporting them. Restrictions on temporary foreign workers last August 26 excluded the building sector, reported True North.

Illegal immigrants in Canada could number 500,000, says Migrant Rights Network executive director Syed Hussan.

He adds it's "crucial" to give these people paths to permanent residency, in the name of "equality and fairness."https://t.co/TXq29qhTJo pic.twitter.com/Gic8nTrHAr

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) May 28, 2024

“These undocumented migrants are already living and working in Canada and are contributing to the sector,” the minister reiterated in a statement. “This pathway will keep them here legally so they can continue to build the homes our economy and communities need.”

Miller stated that he will request that builders evaluate the needs of the industry and create a plan to regularize undocumented construction workers. “Canada needs a strong construction and skilled trades workforce and immigrants play a vital role in fulfilling these needs,” he said, without detailing specifics.

The government’s handling of the pandemic worsened the country’s trade worker shortage, according to construction industry experts. It pushed labour costs even higher, and has left the industry reeling from its effects, reported True North.

The pandemic created new rules, such as social distancing, that resulted in decreased productivity and extended construction timelines. Additionally, supply chain bottlenecks caused by the economic shutdown delayed material deliveries, which sometimes left tradespeople unable to work even when they were finally booked.

Construction projects become more expensive, with these costs passed on to buyers.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller says illegal immigrants entering Canada from the US "are not welcome."

Ironically, PM Trudeau infamously said "#WelcomeToCanada" in response to Trump's travel ban on several unstable countries like Syria and Yemen almost exactly 8 years ago. pic.twitter.com/oqXFwMmMAO

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) January 15, 2025

Liberal MPs were unsure of permanent residency pathways for undocumented workers, as late as last year, according to prior media reports. 

Federal officials, at the time, proposed an application process to former international students and rejected asylum claimants to remain in Canada. No such program was ever finalized. “If there is a clear conclusion, I will be quite clear about it, but there isn’t one right now,” said Miller. 

The number of migrants living in Canada illegally is unknown, but an estimated 500,000 people could be in the country without status. The figure included foreign visitors whose tourist visas had expired, and foreign students whose study permits were invalid. 

“The majority … have overstayed their authorized period of stay,” said the briefing note Undocumented Migrants. 

Minister Miller's statements on immigration policy have been inconsistent over the past year. For instance, in a broadcast with U.S. National Public Radio on March 27 of last year, he stated, “There is no doubt that we have made a conscious decision to be an open country.”

However, on January 15, Miller informed reporters that illegal immigrants were not welcome.  “Those folks are not welcome to Canada if they are doing so in an irregular fashion,” he said.

PETITION: Net-Zero Immigration!

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Canadians are suffering as a result of uncontrolled immigration under the leadership of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The cost of living has soared, there's inadequate housing, and our social welfare system is buckling at the seams. Please sign our petition here to demand that Justin Trudeau stop the unmitigated influx of immigrants to Canada!

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