Mayor Olivia Chow concerned about new federal immigration cuts

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says she worries about what the federal government's plan to cut immigration targets could mean for newcomers looking to reunite their families in Canada. 

The government said the new immigration levels plan will cause a 0.2 per cent population decline over the next two years, with the amount of new permanent residents set to be slowly trimmed annually from 485,000 this year down to 365,000 in 2027.

When Chow was asked what these cuts could mean for the city and whether she has concerns, she was quick to raise what it could mean for family reunification. 

"I am concerned about all of those people that have been waiting to bring their mom and dad to Canada … I'm worried about refugees in refugee camps waiting to come and join their loved ones," she told reporters. 

The move by federal officials comes amid growing scrutiny over the pressure rising immigration has put on the housing market, with the government saying they expect this plan to provide relief. 

"Yes, we have a housing crisis," Chow said. "But the housing crisis was created after three decades of every level of government not building non-market housing." 

Provincial leaders say Ontario will feel the impact 

David Piccini, Ontario's minister for Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, said he worries about what the cuts could mean for the province's Immigrant Nominee Program, which is meant to bring skilled workers to Ontario. 

While it's not yet clear, Piccini said he expects the program to be reduced. He said he tried calling Immigration Minister Marc Miller ahead of Thursday's announcement, but did not hear back. 

Piccini said rising immigration numbers have caused a strain on Ontario's resources, but the government should have consulted the province before making the decision to scale it back. 

"They've created a problem, they're attempting to fix it. What I do fundamentally disagree with is doing it on the backs of our provincial nominee program," he told reporters. 

Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles said she's not surprised by the immigration cuts. 

"I do have concerns, but I think what we need to be looking at is, immigration is being cut because we are not building the homes. We are not addressing the social infrastructure they need actually at this point, and that is going to harm our economy in the end," she said. 

Syed Hussan, a spokesperson with the Migrant Rights Network, said he's most worried about the way the public discussions frame migrants as responsible for the housing affordability crisis, which he believes is the fault of Ontario's lack of policies to address housing shortages. 

"Immigrants are simply political football in this conversation and our lives are not being considered," he said, stressing the impact the immigration level reductions could have on newcomers who already settled in Canada. 

"There is an expectation that 1.2 million permits are about to expire by the end of next year. These are people who have lived here for many, many years, who've laid roots, who are going to be either ripped apart from their communities, which means employers will lose workers, or they will become undocumented."