OTTAWA — Some provincial leaders are advocating for greater local control over immigration policies. However, experts argue that a national dialogue on immigration reform is essential to build public support. Michael Trebilcock, a retired academic and co-author of two immigration policy books, stated, "Most of the existing policies have been formulated on the fly without any evidence or serious impact evaluations of what the various classes of immigrants are, how they’re performing economically and otherwise. So it’s basically research-free."

During a recent three-day meeting in Huntsville, Ontario, premiers and territorial leaders called for an increase in economic immigration levels to address local labor shortages. They expressed intentions to utilize their constitutional powers to gain more control over immigration and issue work permits. Ontario Premier Doug Ford later retracted his commitment to issue work permits to asylum seekers, saying, "Do I want the whole immigration system on the shoulder of the province? No. Would I like to be treated the same way as Quebec? Yes, and so would every other province and territory." Quebec operates its own immigration system, allowing it to select immigrants based on specific criteria, including French language proficiency.

Ontario’s Immigration Minister David Piccini emphasized the need for increased financial support from the federal government to assist with social services impacted by the influx of asylum seekers. Ninette Kelley, a former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees official, noted that provincial control over immigration has expanded significantly in the past two decades. "They know what their provinces need today, and they want to make sure they get the labor in that is required to meet those demands," she said. However, she added, "there’s been absolutely no evaluation that I can see of how those programs are implemented or what effect they’re having."

Trebilcock highlighted the importance of addressing the premiers' concerns, as increased immigration can strain health care and other provincial services. He expressed alarm over declining public support for immigration, stating, "It’s disturbing to see Canadians’ support for immigration decline in multiple public opinion polls." He believes a comprehensive public review is necessary to restore support through evidence-based policies. "What we see at present is often piecemeal, on-the-fly changes in reaction to particular concerns that have surfaced in the media... international students, temporary foreign workers," he said.

Kelley suggested that a thorough review of the immigration system could be conducted swiftly with the right stakeholders involved, rather than a lengthy national inquiry. Saskatchewan Immigration Minister Jim Reiter indicated that provincial immigration ministers have communicated to Ottawa their desire to be recognized as partners in immigration, rather than mere stakeholders. "We need more influence in the decision-making of this because so much of the economic stream needs to be targeted depending on the specific needs of each province," Reiter said.

Last year, the federal government reduced the number of slots in the Provincial Nominee Program from 110,000 to 55,000 as part of broader immigration control measures. This program allows provinces and territories to nominate individuals for permanent residency based on their skills and economic contributions. Each province has its own program streams targeting various immigrant types based on skills or business experience. Reiter expressed a desire to restore the Provincial Nominee Program to its previous levels, emphasizing that while he understands the need to limit temporary visas, it should not come at the expense of economic immigrants.

"We’ve had to restrict the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program down to three streams now to a large degree because we just don’t have enough spots anymore," Reiter said. He noted that of the 3,600 spots available, three-quarters must go to temporary workers, prioritizing those in health care and skilled trades. "We’ve got the largest potash mine in the world being built just outside of Saskatoon, and that company, BHP, every time we meet with them, they raise the issue that skilled trades are an issue. So this is having a detrimental effect on economic growth," he added.

Trebilcock suggested that if provinces focus on using immigration to enhance local labor markets, steps could be taken to facilitate the recognition of immigrants' foreign credentials in fields such as law and medicine. Kelley emphasized that effective immigration management requires close collaboration among federal, provincial, and municipal governments. "So that speaks to the need for really tight cooperation between the federal government and the provincial government and municipalities, both in the setting of levels and in the housing and medical policies that are currently in place so that we can accommodate those who we’re letting in," she said.