December 18 marks International Migrants Day, a time to recognize migrants who enrich communities and help build the foundations of our economy. It is also a moment to acknowledge the systemic challenges they face and to demand bold transformative action to protect their rights and dignity.
Governments and political leaders across Canada and around the world are increasingly using migrants as scapegoats for economic challenges such as affordability and housing crises. This blame-shifting strategy ignores decades of policy decisions that have eroded public services, dismantled rent controls, and failed to invest in affordable housing and infrastructure.
Meanwhile, corporate profiteering—unchecked by political leaders—continues to gouge working-class people with skyrocketing grocery and energy prices. These failures have not only deepened the challenges of affordability but have also fuelled resentment, redirecting justified frustration toward vulnerable migrant communities.
When we speak of migrants, we mean the individuals and families who are temporary foreign workers in sectors such as agriculture, care, and construction, international students navigating precarious work conditions, undocumented individuals who have fallen through the cracks of a flawed immigration system, and permanent residents contributing to Canada’s economy and future. Each group faces unique challenges, but all deserve equal protections and opportunities to thrive.
Recent policy announcements in Canada have further restricted the number of migrant workers, international students, and permanent residents allowed to enter the country.
This short-sighted approach undermines the contributions of those who have been working and studying in Canada, individuals who have enriched our society and economy. Experts warn that these cuts to permanent immigration levels will stifle Canada’s long-term economic growth.
For a country facing labour shortages in critical sectors, restricting immigration is not only harmful to newcomers but also to the prosperity of all Canadians. Globally, the rise of anti-migrant sentiment has paved the way for far-right governments to exploit fear and division.
These governments promote policies that do little to improve the lives of working people, instead enriching corporate elites while driving deeper wedges between communities. In Canada, anti-migrant rhetoric has emboldened hate groups, leading to anti-immigrant demonstrations and a rise in hate crimes against migrant and racialized communities. These hateful actions undermine our shared values of inclusivity and justice.
It is clear that Canada’s immigration system is not working.
Temporary foreign worker programs and the exploitation of international students have created a two-tiered labour market where low-wage employers can exploit vulnerable workers.
This system must change.
We need a sustainable and human rights-based approach to immigration that prioritizes permanent residency, family reunification, equal labour rights and protections, and asylum for those fleeing persecution and violence.
On this International Migrants Day, Unifor reaffirms our commitment to stand in solidarity with migrants across Canada and around the world.
We call on governments to enact policies that uplift and protect migrants, not scapegoat them. It is only by uniting workers—regardless of status—that we can build a society where everyone can thrive with dignity, fairness, and respect.
Migrants are not to blame for the failures of governments or the greed of corporations.
They are our neighbours, our co-workers and our friends. They are integral to the fabric of Canada, and the struggles of migrant peoples are inseparable from those of all working people.
Together, we will continue to fight for justice and equity for all.
Read this statement on our website.
In solidarity,
Lana Payne
National President