Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced plans to cut approximately 3,300 jobs, or about a quarter of its workforce, over the next three years.
Federal officials sent an email to employees Monday about the “budget situation” and the impact on staffing, IRCC later confirmed to CBC.
The email said it was unclear who would be affected by these cuts, but it would affect all sectors and divisions. Those affected will be notified from mid-February.
“We estimate that approximately 80 percent of these reductions could be achieved by eliminating planned staffing, duration, and other contingent staffing commitments. , which will need to be accomplished through the WFA (Workforce Adjustment) process and will impact “undefined workforce,” the email said.
“While the functions affected have been identified, individual positions have not been identified.”
It said some term contracts may be terminated early and affected contracts will be given at least 30 days’ notice.
Why the cut?
IRCC said in a statement to CBC that the sector has expanded rapidly in recent years in response to global crises like the pandemic, and its growth is dependent on temporary funding.
Immigration has also boosted Canada’s economy while putting pressure on housing, infrastructure and social services.
According to the Finance Committee, IRCC had approximately 13,100 employees as of the end of March 2024.an increase from approximately 7,900 people in 2019 and approximately 5,900 people in 2014.
The planned layoffs would be about a 25% reduction from March 2024 levels, returning to where the department was in 2021.
In October, the government announced it would reduce immigration levels over the next three years.
IRCC said the goal is to halt Canada’s population growth in the short term and focus on long-term growth.
“Staffing within IRCC is being adjusted to align with reduced levels and permanent funding,” the statement said.
IRCC said the department and other ministries have been directed to restore spending to pre-pandemic levels. The recent federal budget called for cuts in public service spending, and the federal deficit had widened to $61.9 billion as of last month.
At the departmental level, IRCC said in an email that spending reductions will start at $237 million in 2025-2026, with a total of $336 million by 2027-2028, including payroll and non-salary expenses. He said it would increase to a million dollar reduction.
“We are working with ever-increasing budgets and now we need to learn how to live within established and reduced budgets,” the email said.
The union calls it reckless.
“This news is absolutely shocking,” Rubina Boucher, national president of the Canadian Employment and Immigration Union (CEIU), told CBC in an interview.
“We are concerned about what this means for families and businesses across the country,” she added.
IRCC staff process documents such as citizenship and permanent residence applications and passports.
“Families desperate to be reunited, businesses suffering from severe labor shortages, and health systems in desperate need of skilled workers will all benefit from this reckless decision,” Boucher said in a joint statement with the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC). They will suffer the consequences.”
Tamara Mosher Kutzer, founder and senior attorney at Lighthouse Immigration Law, said she was horrified when she learned of the impending layoffs.
He said some people wait years for their immigration documents to be processed and these cuts will only further clog an overburdened system.
“Processing times are going to increase. They’re already really bad… They’re already ridiculous and they’re going to get worse.”
