Press Release: Migrant Workers Face Unfair Blame for Youth Unemployment
Halifax, Nova Scotia (September 8, 2025) - Last week, the Leader of the Official Opposition in Canada Pierre Pollievre and British Columbia Premier David Eby criticized Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program, blaming migrant workers for youth unemployment.
As noted in a recent op-ed by Dr. Yvonne Su in the Toronto Star, an examination of youth unemployment rates and TFW permits from 1973 to 2025 reveals no significant correlation between the two. In Nova Scotia, the majority of migrant workers are employed in the agriculture and food and beverage manufacturing industries, including seafood product preparation and packaging. These are not sectors in which youth are typically employed in the summertime.
A 2024 United Nations Report called Canada’s TFW Program “a breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery” and urged the Government of Canada to provide a clear pathway to permanent residency upon arrival for migrant workers. Instead, the Government of Canada announced cuts to the number of migrant workers and immigrants to Canada, citing “pressures on housing, infrastructure and social services.” According to a spokesperson for Immigration Minister Lena Diab, migrant worker arrivals have dropped significantly from 245,000 in 2024 to 119,000 in the first six months of 2025.
“We are seeing migrants being blamed from all sides for various social problems in our country. These claims are baseless and create an unsafe environment for migrants. We need solidarity and real solutions, not more scapegoating,” said Stacey Gomez, Executive Director of the Centre for Migrant Worker Rights Nova Scotia.
On September 20th, communities across Canada—including in Nova Scotia—will join the “Draw the Line” mobilizations, calling for climate justice, migrant justice, Indigenous sovereignty, peace, and an end to fossil fuels. Among the five key demands is a call for the Government of Canada to end the scapegoating of migrants and ensure full immigration status for all.
