Federal Immigration Minister Lena Diab has stated that she has no knowledge of a reported directive sent to the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa from the Trump administration, instructing its envoy to urge Canada to decrease its immigration levels. When questioned about whether Canada takes guidance from the U.S. regarding immigration levels, Diab explained that she collaborated with economists, department officials, and stakeholders nationwide for months to determine Canada’s future immigration levels. She emphasized that provinces and territories were her primary partners in this decision-making process since immigration in Canada is a shared responsibility among provincial, territorial, and federal authorities.
According to a recent report by the New York Times, a diplomatic cable from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to diplomats in Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand urges U.S. ambassadors to advocate for reducing immigration levels in those countries and to report any perceived excessive support for immigrants by their governments. The cable also instructs U.S. ambassadors to address U.S. concerns about violent crimes linked to individuals with a migration background.
In response to the Times report detailing Rubio’s cable, Minister Diab expressed her lack of familiarity with the situation, stating, “It’s not something I’m familiar with… unless something happened overnight.” The minister made these remarks during a press conference in Ottawa where she unveiled programs aimed at supporting the integration of Francophone immigrants outside Quebec. The initiative, which will receive approximately $3.6 million in funding through the Francophone Immigration Support Program, aims to facilitate the settlement and recruitment of skilled Francophone immigrants to address labor shortages in sectors such as healthcare, education, and early childhood development.