The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Canadian Employment and Immigration Union (CEIU) indicated in a joint statement released Monday that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) did not specify who will be affected by the job cuts.
Unions say more information is expected in mid-February, but the job cuts were discussed at a union-management meeting before staff were informed. The two unions are urging the government to reduce external subcontracting instead of cutting staff numbers.
In an internal memo obtained by The Canadian Press, IRCC Deputy Minister Dr. Harpreet S. Kochhar and Associate Deputy Minister Scott Harris told employees that some permanent positions “will be eliminated,” as well as “ many fixed-term positions.
“Although the functions affected were identified, the people were not,” the note said. Our plan is to first inform those affected before we begin to broaden the picture of the impact of this situation on teams, sectors and the ministry.
The memo states that approximately 3,300 jobs will be eliminated over the next three years, with 20% of the reductions affecting permanent employees. Letters will be sent to affected employees starting in mid-February.
There will also be “significant reductions” in the department’s temporary workforce, the document said, adding that some fixed-term contracts will not be renewed or will end earlier than planned. Affected fixed-term employees will receive at least 30 days’ notice, probably also in mid-February.
“We are building an organization fit for purpose, capabilities, and budget,” the memo states, saying the funding changes have added pressure “in an already constrained budget situation.”
Jessica Kingsbury, an IRCC spokesperson, said in an email Monday that budget decisions will focus on “maintaining border security and enforcing immigration laws, while evaluating how best to provide our programs and services.
“Canada’s immigration objectives are a top priority,” said Ms. Kingsbury. That’s why we will continue to identify opportunities to streamline our work and invest in the priorities that matter most.”
Ottawa seeks savings
Public sector employees have been bracing for layoffs since the government launched efforts to redirect federal spending in 2023.
The government is seeking to find $15.8 billion in savings by 2027-2028 and $4.8 billion per year thereafter.
-The memo states that planned spending reductions for the department start at $237 million in 2025-26 and are expected to reach $336 million by 2027-28.
“It is clear that our department will be smaller in the future,” the memo said. We have been working with an ever-increasing budget and must learn to live with a set – and reduced – budget in the future. This will impact all sectors and all branches of IRCC, both domestically and internationally, at head office and in the regions, and at all levels.”
The department said it has reduced its workforce through attrition and redeployment of employees as well as implemented staffing controls to limit external hires and evaluate all appointments based on budget and operational needs.
“The past few years have been a period of rapid growth and change for IRCC,” said department spokesperson Jeffrey MacDonald in an email sent Friday. “We responded to global crises, including the pandemic, increased permanent and temporary resident admissions, and moved toward a more integrated, modernized, and centralized work environment to accelerate the processing of applications globally.”
“These measures were largely funded through temporary funding and were not intended to be permanent.”
The PSAC and CEIU said departmental staff are essential to the work of processing citizenship and permanent residence applications, issuing passports and conducting interviews.
“Last month, processing times for immigration files reached record highs, and the announced cuts will only make the situation worse,” said the national president of the SEIC, Rubina Boucher, in a press release. “No one will be spared: families awaiting reunification, businesses suffering from labor shortages and the health system in dire need of qualified personnel.”
In response to the planned cuts, Nathan Prier, president of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees, sent a letter to Immigration Minister Marc Miller, asking him to suspend the cuts or at least slow them down until Parliament resumes its work and “a clearer national direction can be set as we face a looming crisis in our relationship with the United States.”
“A strong and well-equipped federal workforce is essential to Canada’s defense against external pressures, particularly given the growing hostility of our neighbor,” Prier said.
According to the Government of Canada website, 13,092 public servants worked at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada in 2024. The total size of the public service in 2024 was 367,772 people.
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