As the House of Commons prepares to reconvene next month, the Conservative Party is expected to intensify its focus on immigration issues. The party argues that the Liberal government's inability to manage immigration effectively is having negative repercussions for Canadians nationwide.

In a statement released on August 25, Conservative leaders highlighted discrepancies in the government's immigration targets. They noted that while the government set an annual cap of 82,000 temporary foreign workers (TFW), over 105,000 had already been issued. Additionally, they pointed out that 302,000 applicants had been admitted to the International Mobility Program in the first half of the year, surpassing the promised cap of 285,000 permits.

"Moreover, their so-called caps on permanent residents were already among the highest in our history, yet they’re on track to exceed their own reckless targets, welcoming the equivalent of twice the population of Guelph and four times the population of Abbotsford," the statement read, attributed to Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and Shadow Immigration Critic Michelle Rempel Garner.

Poilievre has also shared graphics on social media illustrating the gap between the government's promised immigration targets and the actual numbers, setting the stage for a contentious fall session in Parliament. Public sentiment appears to be shifting, with a Leger poll from July indicating that 62% of respondents believe there are too many newcomers arriving in Canada. Only 42% expressed trust in the government's handling of immigration.

Further data from Abacus Data revealed that 53% of Canadians surveyed last year held a negative view of immigration, and 72% considered the government's immigration targets to be overly ambitious. A recent survey indicated that 25% of Canadians now view immigration as the top issue facing the country. In this context, the Conservatives lead the Liberals by a significant margin, with 56% of respondents believing the Conservative Party is better equipped to address immigration concerns.

The issue resonates particularly with younger Canadians, who swung heavily toward the Conservatives in the last federal election. Among voters aged 18 to 34, support for the Conservatives was 44%, compared to 31.2% for the Liberals. This shift comes amid rising youth unemployment, which is currently the highest it has been since the late 1990s, with nearly 15% of Canadians aged 15 to 24 unable to find work before returning to school.

Critics argue that the TFW program incentivizes employers to hire foreign workers over training Canadian citizens, which could be contributing to lower productivity and suppressed wages. Investigations have revealed troubling practices, including allegations that government officials instructed staff to bypass fraud checks on TFW applications. Reports indicated that some migrant workers paid up to $70,000 for non-existent jobs.

Currently, estimates suggest there are between 600,000 and over 1 million undocumented individuals in Canada. The challenge of addressing this issue is compounded by the actions of unscrupulous immigration consultants who have misled many individuals seeking to immigrate.

The Conservative Party contends that the government's failure to meet its own immigration caps and enforce deportations undermines public trust. They argue that this situation is unfair to both Canadians and newcomers who have followed the proper immigration processes.