In surprise move, Spain to grant legal status to thousands of immigrants lacking permission

2026/01/28 Leave a comment

Of note, rare exception:

Spain’s government announced Tuesday it will grant legal status to potentially hundreds of thousands of immigrants living and working in the country without authorization, the latest example of how the country has bucked a trend toward increasingly harsh immigration policies seen in the United States and much of Europe.

Spain’s Minister of Migration, Elma Saiz, announced the extraordinary measure following the weekly cabinet meeting. She said her government will amend existing immigration laws by expedited decree to grant immigrants who are living in Spain without authorization legal residency of up to one year as well as permission to work.

The permits will apply to those who arrived in Spain before Dec. 31, 2025, and who can prove they have lived in Spain for at least five months. They must also prove they have no criminal record….

Source: In surprise move, Spain to grant legal status to thousands of immigrants lacking permission

Filed under Immigration Tagged with ,

Fixing a broken system – Canada’s immigration security screening: Adam Hummel

2026/01/28 Leave a comment

Suspect that there is likely more coordination. But security lapses undermine confidence in management of immigration and agree that tighter screening is not incompatible with non-discrimination, as long as care is taken with the procedures and criteria:

…The problem is straightforward: too many agencies, too little coordination, and no single point of accountability. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducts initial assessments. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) provides security screening recommendations. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) handles intelligence analysis. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) manages biometrics. Each maintains separate databases, uses different risk indicators, and operates on distinct timelines. When everyone is responsible, no one is accountable. The solution is equally clear: consolidate the process under unified leadership with integrated systems.

This isn’t about closing borders or abandoning Canada’s humanitarian commitments – it’s about fixing a bureaucratic structure that hasn’t kept pace with modern problems. A fragmented multi-agency model designed for a different era now buckles under increased applications, emerging security challenges, and information silos that allow dangerous individuals to slip through undetected.

The Mess: Four Agencies, No Clarity

Canada’s immigration security screening operates as a “trilateral program” involving IRCC, the CBSA, and CSIS. The RCMP are also engaged. In theory, this multi-layered approach provides thorough vetting. In practice, it creates confusion about who’s responsible when things go wrong….

Getting the Politics Right

Immigration is politically charged, and any discussion of enhanced screening triggers accusations of discrimination. But the alternative – a system that fails to protect Canadians while creating uncertainty for legitimate applicants – serves nobody’s interests.

This isn’t about cutting immigration or targeting specific communities. It’s about ensuring that whoever comes to Canada, through whatever pathway, has been properly vetted using modern tools and coordinated processes. Most applicants pose no security risk and deserve timely processing. But the small percentage who do, require effective screening that actually works.

This means resisting both extremes: those who want to gut immigration programs entirely, and those who dismiss any screening concerns as bigotry. Canadians broadly support immigration but expect competent administration. The Eldidi case damages public confidence not because people oppose refugee protection, but because basic screening failed.

Why This Matters Now

Canada faces a critical juncture on immigration policy. Public support has declined amid housing pressures, service strains, and high-profile security failures. The federal government has already reduced immigration targets and tightened temporary resident programs. The system is under stress, and it is getting close to its limits.

Getting security screening right is essential to maintaining the broad consensus that has made Canada’s immigration system work. If Canadians lose faith that the government can distinguish between legitimate applicants and security threats, political pressure to slash immigration will intensify, harming Canada’s economic prospects and international reputation.

The solutions outlined here are practical, achievable, and consistent with Canadian values. They require political will, adequate resources, and willingness to challenge bureaucratic silos. But they’re far preferable to the status quo: a system that fails to protect Canadians while creating unnecessary hurdles for legitimate applicants.

The Eldidi arrests should be a wake-up call, not a political football. Parliament should direct the government to implement comprehensive reforms before the next failure occurs. Canada can have both generous immigration policies and effective security screening – but only if we’re willing to fix the broken system we now have.

Adam Hummel is an estates litigator at Donovan Kochman LLP and the principal lawyer at Hummel Law PC practising immigration law. His recent book, Essays From Afar: 700 Days of the Diaspora Experience Since October 7, is available on Amazon.

Source: Fixing a broken system – Canada’s immigration security screening: Adam Hummel for Inside Policy

Filed under Immigration Tagged with , , ,

Canada is asking the court to dismiss hundreds of immigration cases. Here’s why

2026/01/23 1 Comment

Makes sense and good to see some due diligence:

Ottawa has asked the Federal Court to throw out hundreds of immigration cases en masse, alleging they were filed by unauthorized agents.

In a motion last month, the immigration minister argued that the 430 applications, seeking relief from court over delays, should be heard and dismissed collectively due to “irregularities” stemming from the “similar format, style and phrasing” in court filings.

The applicants also shared the same home addresses, phone numbers and email accounts despite claiming to have self-represented.

The case involves Chinese applicants who have applied for study, work or visitor permits. They have asked the court to review the processing delays of their individual files and to order the Immigration Department to fast-track the application if the delay was found to be unreasonable.

The use of unscrupulous “ghost agents” has posed an ongoing challenge for immigration officials and legal profession regulators because they operate behind the scenes and cannot be held accountable. Their incompetence can also lead to dire consequences for applicants and abuse of the immigration and legal systems.

Recently, immigration officials appear to have stepped up efforts to detect the involvement of unauthorized agents in applications — and have been going after the applicants as a deterrent. Last year, multiple refugee claims by Sikhs were flagged and rejected for lack of credibility because their narratives were “nearly word for word” identical.

Source: Canada is asking the court to dismiss hundreds of immigration cases. Here’s why

Filed under Immigration Tagged with , , ,

Trump And Miller Slashing Legal Immigration By 33% To 50%

2026/01/23 Leave a comment

Of note:

New research concludes the Trump administration’s policies will reduce legal immigration to the United States by 33% to 50% over four years. Restricting Americans’ ability to sponsor their closest family members will be the administration’s primary way to lower legal immigration. While aggressive deportation tactics by Immigration and Customs Enforcement have garnered headlines, cuts to the admission of legal immigrants will have a profound impact on the country and millions of people.

Numerous Restrictions On Legal Immigration

Trump officials have implemented policies to block American citizens and employers from sponsoring legal immigrants. The policies will override the immigration rules and categories that Congress established unless a lawsuit stops the actions.

“The Trump administration’s policies will reduce legal immigration to the United States by an estimated 33% to 50%, or by 1.5 million to 2.4 million legal immigrants, by the end of Donald Trump’s four-year term,” according to a National Foundation for American Policy analysis.

In FY 2023, 1,172,910 legal immigrants received permanent residence, also commonly referred to as green cards, on a pace for 4,691,640 over four years. “NFAP estimates 1,546,710 to 2,369,998, or 33% to 50%, fewer legal immigrants will gain green cards during Donald Trump’s administration due to policies that include significantly lower admission levels for refugees, restrictions on the Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizens due to ‘public charge’ policies and a 39-country immigration ban, actions taken against Diversity Visa recipients and other policies.” The analysis provides a range because uncertainty remains about how restrictively administration officials will enact the policies….

Source: Trump And Miller Slashing Legal Immigration By 33% To 50%

Filed under Immigration, Trump administration Tagged with

ICYMI – ‘A win on all fronts’: Federal Court quashes Ottawa’s attempt to stop legal challenge on cabinet secrets in Canada-U.S. refugee deal

2026/01/22 Leave a comment

Not all that surprised:

A Federal Court judge has rejected the Canadian government’s attempt to throw out a challenge by advocacy groups seeking greater transparency on how Ottawa decides to designate the United States as a safe country for refugees.

The legal challenge by the Canadian Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers and the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario asked the government to pull back the curtain on its internal reviews regarding the Safe Third Country Agreement with the U.S. In its application, the groups argue that Ottawa must be transparent about the process and ensure it complies with Canada’s Charter of Rights and its international legal obligations.

Under the bilateral refugee pact, which was introduced in 2004, most asylum seekers are required to claim protection in the first safe country they arrive in. This means Canada can turn back refugees arriving from the U.S. on the basis they should pursue their claims in the U.S.

The government brought forward a motion to strike the legal challenge last year, before the case could start. In a ruling on Monday, Justice Alan Diner rejected that request, saying the application was not “doomed to fail” and is strong enough to warrant a full hearing.

Diner wrote that at the core of the government’s argument is the question of what constitutes a decision when it’s required to conduct an ongoing review — “a legal question that should not be answered on a truncated record.”

The judge also granted the applicants “public interest standing,” while recognizing that the advocacy groups themselves are not “directly affected” individuals like refugee claimants.

While the government argued the challenge was filed too late, Diner granted an extension and agreed with the applicants in finding that the delay was reasonable because the legal pathway to challenge the review process only became clear following a 2023 Supreme Court of Canada decision.

Maureen Silcoff, a co-counsel for the refugee lawyer association, described the ruling as “a win on many fronts.”

The question of why the Canadian government is continuing to designate the U.S. a safe country is more pertinent now than ever, Silcoff told the Star. “All we have to do is look south of the border and we see that the current administration has essentially eradicated the asylum process,” she said….

Source: ‘A win on all fronts’: Federal Court quashes Ottawa’s attempt to stop legal challenge on cabinet secrets in Canada-U.S. refugee deal

Filed under Immigration, Refugees Tagged with , , ,

Officials processing foreign nationals’ visas, permanent-residence applications will not face job cuts: minister

2026/01/20 Leave a comment

Of note and to watch whether processing times improve or not:

Federal employees processing applications from foreign nationals for temporary or permanent residence in Canada will be insulated from forthcoming public-service cuts, Immigration Minister Lena Diab says.

Government departments have begun rolling out plans to reduce staffing levels, honouring a pledge made in last year’s budget to cut the number of public servants by about 30,000 over five years. The federal public service numbered almost 358,000 employees last year.

Statistics Canada this month said it plans to cut more than 850 jobs. 

Natural Resources Canada told The Globe and Mail last week that approximately 700 employees received letters last month informing them that their position may be affected. The department said it plans to eliminate approximately 400 positions by 2028-29.

Other government departments are expected to announce job cuts shortly. 

In an interview, Ms. Diab, who oversees Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, said public servants working on applications for settlement, employment and study here will not be among those facing job cuts.

She said the agency’s staffing is tied to Ottawa’s annual immigration levels plan, which sets targets for the numbers of people admitted for entry to Canada.

“The way IRCC has been funded over the years, it’s funded based on the levels plan, and so therefore that will not change. The people that are processing those numbers, they’ll still be there. They will not be affected,” Ms. Diab said. 

IRCC has huge backlogs in processing of applications for permanent residence, with some wait times stretching to more than 10 years. 

Toronto immigration lawyer Stephen Green said many applicants were facing long delays in decisions about their immigration status because of the backlogs. But he said IRCC officers were creating more work by failing to call applicants who may have, for instance, made slight mistakes or forgotten to include a document with their application. He said rejections of applications for small errors were leading to a slew of Federal Court challenges. 

“They need better processing, and just picking up the phone to check things could increase efficiencies. If picking up the phone can resolve an issue quickly, officials should be encouraged to do that,” Mr. Green said. 

Source: Officials processing foreign nationals’ visas, permanent-residence applications will not face job cuts: minister

Filed under Immigration Tagged with ,

Canada can offer comfort to Ukrainians with a path to permanent residency

2026/01/20 Leave a comment

Not unexpected call:

…Canada should establish a targeted, time-limited pathway to permanent residence for eligible CUAET holders, a focused pilot program delivered federally, under existing ministerial authority, without the need for new regulations.

Such a program should be disciplined and defensible. Eligibility would be limited to Ukrainians who entered Canada under CUAET by March 31, 2024; maintained legal status; and can demonstrate at least six months of full-time work, or its equivalent. Modest language thresholds would apply. Applications would be accepted only within a fixed intake window, underscoring that this is an exceptional response to exceptional circumstances, not an open-ended program.

This initiative should be carried out federally, not by provincial nominee programs, which would add complexity, delay and political friction. Quebec’s distinct immigration jurisdiction would require consultation and co-ordination….

John Weston is a government relations and communications expert, former member of Parliament, and president of Pan Pacific Solutions Ltd.

Source: Canada can offer comfort to Ukrainians with a path to permanent residency

Filed under Immigration Tagged with , , ,

How Many People Has Trump Deported So Far?

2026/01/19 Leave a comment

Over the past year, President Trump’s administration has deported about 230,000 people who were arrested inside the country and another 270,000 at the border, a New York Times analysis of federal data shows.

The number of deportations from interior arrests since Mr. Trump took office is already higher than the total during the entire four years of the Biden administration. It offers the clearest measure of the impact of Mr. Trump’s immigration crackdown and expansive efforts to fulfill his campaign promise to deport millions of people.

At the same time, the number of people trying to cross the Southwest border has fallen to record lows. As a result, far fewer people were arrested and deported from the border than in the preceding few years.

Another roughly 40,000 people returned to their countries after signing up to “self-deport” and receive a stipend through a novel program and app provided by the administration.

That brings the total number of deportations since Mr. Trump took office to 540,000 — fewer than in the last two years of the Biden administration, when border crossings were at record highs. There were 590,000 total deportations in 2023 and 650,000 in 2024….

Source: How Many People Has Trump Deported So Far?

Filed under Immigration, Trump administration Tagged with ,

Immigrants more likely to cite human rights, diversity as ‘Canadian values’: survey

2026/01/17 2 Comments

Of note:

Immigrants are more likely than those born in Canada to identify things like respect for human rights and gender equality as “shared Canadian values,” say survey results in briefing notes prepared for Immigration Minister Lena Diab.

The survey results — part of a package assembled for the minister when she took over the portfolio last May — were obtained by The Canadian Press through an access to information request.

The Statistics Canada survey asked respondents whether they saw human rights, respect for the law, gender equality, linguistic duality, ethic and cultural diversity and respect for Indigenous culture as shared “Canadian values.”

In each case, the percentage of immigrants surveyed who said they saw those values as distinctly Canadian was higher than the percentage of people born in Canada who said the same.

The data was pulled from Statistics Canada’s December 2022 general survey on social identity. The data was collected between August 2020 and February 2021, with a sample of more than 34,000 people that included almost 14,000 landed immigrants.

The survey suggests 67 per cent of immigrants who were aged 13 or older when they came to Canada see respect for the law as a shared Canadian value, while just 40 per cent of respondents born here agreed.

The responses from people who came to Canada aged 12 and younger were more in line with those of people born here.

Lori Wilkinson, Canada Research Chair in migration at the University of Manitoba, said she thinks that statistic is the result of a younger cohort of immigrants growing up in Canada.

“The longer (immigrants) stay here, the more they act Canadian. And I suspect that that’s an issue with attitudes as well,” she said.

“The more you’re here, you pick up the norms and values of the Canadians that you live around. So it’s not surprising they become more like Canadians.”

The survey suggests about 58 per cent of immigrants are satisfied with their lives, while just 44 per cent of Canadian-born respondents said the same.

The survey was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic — a time when many people were stuck at home due to public health measures and more likely to be out of work.

Daniel Bernhard, CEO of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, said this result matches research his organization has conducted. He said immigrants tend to be more focused on their potential for future prosperity after making personal sacrifices to come to Canada.

“There is recognition there that it is difficult to move to a new country, that the economic conditions here, you know, can be difficult for everybody. But as long as they feel that they’re making progress, they’ll be willing to stay,” he said.

Bernhard said his institute has also found immigrant attitudes tend to converge with those of Canadian-born citizens the longer they’re in Canada.

Wilkinson said she expects satisfaction rates across the entire population have declined in recent years due to the elevated cost of living.

“I think people in general, whether you’re immigrant or not, are going to be more angry the longer that affordability is not addressed, the longer homelessness and (housing) precarity are not addressed,” she said….

Source: Immigrants more likely to cite human rights, diversity as ‘Canadian values’: survey

Filed under Immigration, Multiculturalism Tagged with , , ,

L’immigration se régionalise au Québec, The immigration shift away from Canada’s three biggest cities

2026/01/17 Leave a comment

Of note:

“Le dernier bilan démographique des régions laisse entrevoir une répartition accrue de l’immigration aux quatre coins du Québec. Si Montréal attire encore la majorité des nouveaux arrivants, les autres régions obtiennent une part de plus en plus grande du gâteau. La régionalisation tant souhaitée depuis des décennies est-elle en voie de se réaliser ?

La part des immigrants permanents s’installant à Montréal a de nouveau reculé, passant de 48 à 45 % sur un an, selon les données publiées mercredi par l’Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ) pour la période allant du 1er juillet 2024 au 1er juillet 2025.

Il y a 20 ans, cette proportion était de 75 %.

Après Montréal, c’est la Montérégie (13,2 %) et la Capitale-Nationale (12,8 %) qui attirent le plus les nouveaux arrivants, suivies de Laval (5,2 %), de l’Outaouais (4,6 %) et de Chaudière-Appalaches (3,6 %).

Dans le même bilan, on remarque aussi que dans 11 des 17 régions du Québec, le nombre de nouveaux immigrants admis à titre de résidents permanents a été le plus élevé depuis que les données sont disponibles, soit depuis 2001.

“Le dernier bilan démographique des régions laisse entrevoir une répartition accrue de l’immigration aux quatre coins du Québec. Si Montréal attire encore la majorité des nouveaux arrivants, les autres régions obtiennent une part de plus en plus grande du gâteau. La régionalisation tant souhaitée depuis des décennies est-elle en voie de se réaliser ?

La part des immigrants permanents s’installant à Montréal a de nouveau reculé, passant de 48 à 45 % sur un an, selon les données publiées mercredi par l’Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ) pour la période allant du 1er juillet 2024 au 1er juillet 2025.

Il y a 20 ans, cette proportion était de 75 %.

Après Montréal, c’est la Montérégie (13,2 %) et la Capitale-Nationale (12,8 %) qui attirent le plus les nouveaux arrivants, suivies de Laval (5,2 %), de l’Outaouais (4,6 %) et de Chaudière-Appalaches (3,6 %).

Dans le même bilan, on remarque aussi que dans 11 des 17 régions du Québec, le nombre de nouveaux immigrants admis à titre de résidents permanents a été le plus élevé depuis que les données sont disponibles, soit depuis 2001.

« Les migrations internationales occupent un rôle accru dans le bilan démographique de certaines régions où, il n’y a pas si longtemps, “l’immigration jouait un rôle assez mineur, notamment dans les régions plus éloignées des grands centres. Dans les dernières années, ç’a été déterminant dans des régions comme l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue, la Côte-Nord, le Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean », observe Martine St-Amour, démographe à l’ISQ.



Sans l’immigration, la plupart des régions vivraient une décroissance démographique.”.

Source: “L’immigration se régionalise au Québec”

“The latest demographic assessment of the regions suggests an increased distribution of immigration across the world of Quebec. While Montreal still attracts the majority of newcomers, the other regions are getting an increasingly large share of the cake. Is the regionalization that has been longed for decades in the process of being realized?

The share of permanent immigrants settling in Montreal has declined again, from 48 to 45% over a year, according to data released Wednesday by the Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ) for the period from July 1, 2024 to July 1, 2025.

20 years ago, this proportion was 75%.

After Montreal, it is the Montérégie (13.2%) and the Capitale-Nationale (12.8%) that attract the most newcomers, followed by Laval (5.2%), the Outaouais (4.6%) and Chaudière-Appalaches (3.6%).

In the same assessment, we also note that in 11 of the 17 regions of Quebec, the number of new immigrants admitted as permanent residents has been the highest since the data is available, since 2001.

“The latest demographic assessment of the regions suggests an increased distribution of immigration across the world of Quebec. While Montreal still attracts the majority of newcomers, the other regions are getting an increasingly large share of the cake. Is the regionalization that has been longed for decades in the process of being realized?

The share of permanent immigrants settling in Montreal has declined again, from 48 to 45% over a year, according to data released Wednesday by the Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ) for the period from July 1, 2024 to July 1, 2025.

20 years ago, this proportion was 75%.

After Montreal, it is the Montérégie (13.2%) and the Capitale-Nationale (12.8%) that attract the most newcomers, followed by Laval (5.2%), the Outaouais (4.6%) and Chaudière-Appalaches (3.6%).

In the same assessment, we also note that in 11 of the 17 regions of Quebec, the number of new immigrants admitted as permanent residents has been the highest since the data is available, since 2001.

“International migration plays an increased role in the demographic balance of certain regions where, not so long ago, “immigration played a rather minor role, especially in regions further away from major centers. In recent years, this has been decisive in regions such as Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Côte-Nord, Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, “observes Martine St-Amour, a demographer at the ISQ.

Without immigration, most regions would experience a demographic decline.”

At the national level, The immigration shift away from Canada’s three biggest cities:

Canada’s three largest metropolitan areas once together attracted the vast majority of new immigrants to Canada, but a combination of eroding affordability and the influx of international students to smaller cities has sent the three cities’ share of new immigrants to a record low.

Over the 12 months ending in mid-2025, the three census metropolitan areas of Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal attracted a combined 46 per cent of new immigrants, down from close to 80 per cent two decades earlier, according to municipal-level population estimates released by Statistics Canada.

Across Canada, the number of new immigrants is in decline as Ottawa tightens its immigration rules, falling 6.2 per cent between 2023-24 and 2024-25. But the drops in Toronto and Vancouver were particularly steep, declining 10 per cent and 14 per cent, respectively. 

The decline in the large cities’ share of new immigrants is explained, in part, by the number of international students who attended college or university outside of the three major metro areas, then later obtained permanent residency in those smaller locales, said Mike Moffatt, an economist and founding director of the Missing Middle Initiative at the University of Ottawa.

But the declining share is part of a broader population slowdown for Canada’s largest urban centres, with growth in Toronto and Vancouver in particular coming to a standstill. 

Filed under Immigration Tagged with , ,

← Older posts

Newer posts →