Alberta Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Muhammad Yaseen said he became aware a potential recruitment mission for temporary foreign workers (TFWs) to the United Arab Emirates was being considered and that planning was underway by officials within his ministry. However, Yaseen said he has reviewed the mission’s purpose and decided not to pursue it further at this time. “Alberta has experienced unsustainable levels of immigration due to the federal government’s policies, and we are advocating for more sustainable, economically-focused immigration policies,” said Yaseen in a Sunday statement. “It is our belief that Ottawa’s priority should be on reducing the number of temporary foreign workers, international students, and asylum seekers — not on reducing provincially-selected economic migrants.”In the meantime, he said the Alberta government “will continue to explore alternative options to address skilled labour shortages in key sectors of our market.” The Canadian government announced in August steps to limit the number of TFWs allowed into certain careers..Ottawa to clamp down on ‘low wage’ temporary foreign workers.Effective September, the Canadian government would refuse applications for TFWs in regions with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher. Additionally, there will be a cap of 10% coming from the low-wage stream of the program and a 50% reduction in the maximum residency duration from two years to one year. Exceptions will be made for seasonal and non-seasonal jobs in food security sectors, construction, and healthcare. The Canadian government said it continues to monitor the so-called high wage stream of the program that could result in further changes, including to existing applicants, within the next 90 days.Alberta Federation of Labour President Gil McGowan said on Wednesday he was surprised to find the government was planning a mission to the UAE for provincial employers to hire from a large pool of migrant workers employed overseas. .UPDATED: Gil McGowan calls out Smith for temporary foreign worker recruitment mission to UAE .McGowan noted the Alberta government’s support for these employers to hire temporary foreign workers includes venue arrangements for interviews, advertising to attract them, organizing interviews with them, and assistance with hotels and flights.“Premier [Danielle] Smith, you were elected to serve all Albertans, not just employers looking to drive down wages by using the TFWP (Temporary Foreign Worker Program),” said McGowan.
