Federal Immigration Department to Cut Over 3,300 Jobs by 2028
The federal immigration department, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), plans to cut 3,300 jobs over the next three years. Two major unions, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Canada Employment and Immigration Union (CEIU), have confirmed this development.
Details of the Planned Reductions
In an internal memo, Deputy Minister Dr. Harpreet S. Kochhar and Associate Deputy Minister Scott Harris outlined the workforce reduction. Around 20% of the cuts will affect permanent employees, while a significant number of term positions will also be eliminated. Affected employees will receive notification letters starting mid-February, with at least 30 days’ notice for term staff.
The department cited funding changes and budget constraints as driving factors. The memo stated, “Our plan is to inform affected individuals first before broadening the picture of how this impacts teams, sectors, and the department.”
Budget cuts are expected to reach $336 million by 2027-28, impacting every sector and region. IRCC’s spokesperson, Jessica Kingsbury, emphasized maintaining border security and enforcing immigration laws while streamlining operations.
Union Response and Concerns
The PSAC and CEIU have expressed strong concerns about the planned layoffs. They highlighted the potential impact on citizenship, permanent residency, and passport processing times. CEIU President Rubina Boucher warned that this decision will worsen existing backlogs and affect families, businesses, and the healthcare sector.
Boucher stated, “Families longing to reunite, businesses facing critical labor shortages, and healthcare systems desperate for skilled workers will suffer.”
Unions are urging the government to cut outsourcing contracts instead of downsizing staff, suggesting that in-house expertise can strengthen the immigration system while reducing costs.
Broader Context and Financial Goals
The job cuts align with the federal government’s broader goal to save $15.8 billion by 2027-28. This initiative includes reducing term and casual employees and relying on attrition to downsize the public service. Planned spending reductions for IRCC alone will start at $237 million in 2025-26, increasing in subsequent years.
Ongoing Challenges at IRCC
IRCC’s workforce grew significantly in recent years due to temporary funding for pandemic responses and increased immigration processing demands. These expansions were not intended to be permanent, according to department spokesperson Jeffrey MacDonald. He noted, “We responded to global crises and modernized our processes, but these measures were supported by temporary funding.”
Despite the growth, the department continues to face record-breaking application backlogs. The unions argue that reducing staff now will only exacerbate delays, further straining families, businesses, and communities.
Future Steps and Implications
IRCC aims to “live within a defined and reduced budget,” according to the memo. However, unions are advocating for greater collaboration to find sustainable solutions without compromising essential services.
The coming months will reveal how these job cuts unfold and their broader impact on Canada’s immigration system. The unions have called for transparency and urged Immigration Minister Marc Miller to delay or reconsider the reductions.
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More…
- https://ottawacitizen.com/news/more-than-3000-jobs-to-be-cut-from-ircc-says-union
- https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/canadas-immigration-department-cutting-3-300-jobs-prompting-concerns-over-backlogs-and-processing-times/article_0b6aa6ca-d773-11ef-b988-dff1669ce8a4.html
- https://halifax.citynews.ca/2025/01/20/federal-immigration-department-to-cut-more-than-3300-jobs-unions-say
