immigration status of thousands of people in Canada is currently uncertain
Because approximately 155,000 federal public servants in Canada have been on strike since April 19, thousands of people's immigration statuses are currently unknown.
People who were impacted by the strike include refugee claimants, family members sponsored by sponsors, migratory workers, and international students.
As a result of the strike, the processing of immigration petitions has been halted, and hearings have been postponed.
On Sunday, the workers who are represented by the Public Service Alliance of Canada and are on strike with the federal government entered their 12th day of action.
The minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Sean Fraser, stated a week ago that due to the strike, tens of thousands of files had not been processed when they should otherwise have been processed.
Fraser continued by saying that we might have to consider what kinds of policy choices we ought to make in order to play catch-up.
In an effort to alleviate manpower shortages in areas ranging from construction to healthcare, Canada has increased its immigration target to record-setting levels. It is hoping to bring in 500,000 new permanent residents year by the year 2025.
The walkout has caused a delay, which comes at a time when the immigration system in Canada is already running behind due to delays caused by the pandemic.
Recent draws in Canada were held for the purpose of selecting thousands of permanent residents.
Although the workers' primary concern is concerning wages, they are also pushing for the inclusion of telecommuting provisions within the collective agreement.
At the beginning of this week, the union leader accused the government of stalling in discussions and called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to get engaged in the process.
On Saturday, the Treasury Board of Canada announced that government negotiators had delivered a last offer to striking public workers in an attempt to bring an end to the strike.
According to the Treasury Board, which is in charge of overseeing public administration, the offer was delivered to the union on Friday.
The details of the proposal are being kept confidential, according to the government negotiators. However, the proposal did include an improved wage offer and addressed various concerns, including seniority, contracting, and telework.
