Home / Business and Economy / Provinces Seek Bigger Role in Immigration as Experts Urge National Reforms
Provinces Seek Bigger Role in Immigration as Experts Urge National Reforms
4 Aug
Summary
- Premiers want more control over immigration to address local labor needs
- Experts say current policies lack evidence and public support
- Calls for comprehensive, public review to rebuild support for immigration
In the lead-up to August 4, 2025, provincial and territorial leaders have been advocating for more local control over the immigration system. They argue that this would allow them to better address their specific labor market needs. However, experts say the real issue is the lack of evidence and public support behind current immigration policies.
Michael Trebilcock, a retired academic and co-author of two books on immigration policy, states that most existing policies have been "formulated on the fly without any evidence or serious impact evaluations." He believes a comprehensive, public review is needed to rebuild broad support for immigration through evidence-based policies.
The federal government has recently cut the number of slots in the Provincial Nominee Program from 110,000 to 55,000, which has forced provinces to restrict their own immigrant nominee programs. Saskatchewan's immigration minister, Jim Reiter, says this is having a "detrimental effect on economic growth" as provinces struggle to fill labor shortages in key industries.
While provinces seek greater autonomy, experts argue that an effective immigration system requires close collaboration between all levels of government. Ninette Kelley, a former UN refugee official, says that rather than a lengthy national inquiry, a top-to-bottom review with the right stakeholders could be conducted quickly to address the concerns of both the federal and provincial governments.
