These immigrants say Canada failed to plan for a population explosion. Now it's their top election issue

Janani Whitfield · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 20, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

Joana Valamootoo felt Canada was a welcoming spot erstwhile she immigrated present from Mauritius successful 2012, but that consciousness has faded successful caller years arsenic migration numbers person gone up and up.

"I came present successful 2012 connected a francophone inaugural program, an migration program, and I was welcome, but I was besides provided what I needed to win here," she said. 

She believes that's nary longer the lawsuit for newcomers to the country.

CBC has been asking radical crossed the state astir the issues that substance astir to them successful the April 28, 2025, national election.

• What contented matters the astir to you this national election, and why? Share your idiosyncratic stories with america at [email protected].

While migration has taken a backseat to concerns similar nationalist unity and tariffs Valamootoo said it's apical of caput for her. She wants to perceive leaders speech astir however they volition integrate newcomers into the country.

"I deliberation the past 3 years determination has been a batch of mistakes by the national authorities with respect to however galore radical they were letting in."

She feels that's led to a emergence successful racism and a backlash against immigrants and planetary students, who've been blamed for crises successful lodging and education.

"I deliberation we request a person that tin bring radical together, alternatively of creating division," she said.

As Canada's colonisation has pushed past 41 cardinal people, Canadians and immigrants alike person expressed interest astir whether the state has planned capable to incorporated caller immigrants into workspaces, schools and homes. The Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association recently commissioned a poll, which recovered 68 per cent of Saskatchewan radical surveyed online supported reducing immigration.

Parties lack vision to plan, says Calgary voter

Sanjeev Kumar came to Canada connected a enactment licence successful 2008 to enactment successful Alberta's edifice manufacture and recently opened his ain edifice successful northeast Calgary.

He's besides seen a emergence successful anti-immigrant sentiment, which helium believes is intensified by immigrants being consenting to enactment successful minimum wage jobs and creating aggravated contention for work.

"Nobody has a occupation close now. People are struggling. Everyone is struggling. Groceries are truthful expensive," helium said.

Kumar said the problem hits planetary students and different newcomers peculiarly badly. He has students coming to him, asking for work.

"They are successful college, astir to finish, but they don't person wealth … they don't person nutrient to eat."

• Compare each the parties' platforms connected migration using CBC's tracker on predetermination promises.

Kumar said these students and radical connected enactment permits besides don't person the aforesaid wide way to residency that helium did erstwhile helium came to Canada. Kumar got his imperishable residency in 3 years.

"That clip actually, erstwhile Harper authorities was there, I deliberation everything is controlled," helium said, adding determination needs to beryllium a equilibrium betwixt migration and integration.

"Right present there's nary equilibrium there. They don't cognize what they are doing."

Since getting his citizenship, Kumar has voted Conservative, but said he's not convinced either of the 2 main parties person a bold program to bolster the system and guarantee there's a stronger occupation marketplace for newcomers and Canadians alike.

"They are conscionable thinking, tiny reasoning [like] we conscionable instrumentality retired c tax," helium said. "They don't person a wide imaginativeness for Canada."

Settlement services look cuts 

Ali Abukar, CEO for the Saskatoon Open Door Society, said colony services similar his are among those that assistance newcomers integrate to Canada with things similar employment grooming and connection education. He said the national authorities has scaled backmost wealth for these organizations arsenic it reduces migration targets, starring to programme cuts astatine some the Saskatoon and Regina Open Door societies.

• Ukrainian newcomers successful Edmonton scramble to find English classes arsenic national backing ends
• Federal backing for immoderate B.C. newcomer enactment programs cut

Reducing migrant and planetary pupil populations can't beryllium done hastily, Abukar said.

"A batch of the planetary students person been contributing a batch of wealth not lone to schools and acquisition institutions, but besides businesses and housing," helium said. He said immigrants volition inactive beryllium needed to assistance Canada resoluteness issues like the labour that's needed to physique houses.

• Why Canada is connected the cusp of a lodging operation crisis

It speaks to the pressing request for the adjacent elected authorities to instrumentality a phased attack to integrating newcomers into Canada, Abukar said.

"Our [immigration] numbers didn't go wherever they are at in conscionable the power of a light. And we can't reverse them the aforesaid way," helium said.

"We each request to bash amended successful presumption of educating radical and raising consciousness and making definite that we're gathering an inclusive … equitable society."