A Conservative MP is calling for federal job site inspections to ensure illegal immigrants are not working on taxpayer-funded construction projects, arguing Ottawa has no clear picture of how many undocumented migrants may be employed in subsidized building programs.Blacklock's Reporter says during debate on the federal government's 2026 budget Main Estimates, Conservative MP Kyle Seeback challenged Immigration Minister Lena Diab over whether undocumented workers are being employed on projects financed with federal tax dollars.“Migrant labour has had real consequences for skilled trades workers in this country,” Seeback told the committee.“Can the minister guarantee none of these undocumented people are participating in illegal labour on construction sites with federal tax dollars?” he asked.“We have a plan,” Diab replied. “The plan is working.”When pressed to identify a specific investigation or enforcement action targeting illegal labour on construction sites, Diab pointed to existing worker compliance protections but did not cite any active cases.“There is worker compliance protection in Canada,” she said.The exchange follows a government response tabled in the House of Commons on Nov. 3 that acknowledged authorities do not track whether undocumented migrants are employed on federally funded worksites..“The Canada Border Services Agency investigates foreign nationals who engage in unauthorized employment and those that employ them,” the response stated.“The agency does not investigate nor track whether worker sites receive government funding.”Seeback also questioned Diab about unemployment among skilled trades workers and the continued use of temporary foreign workers in construction and related occupations.“How many skilled trades workers were unemployed in Canada in 2025?” he asked.“I love to hear about skilled trades,” Diab replied.“It is 127,000,” Seeback responded.He then noted that approximately 126,000 temporary foreign worker permits were issued for skilled occupations, including trades, during the same year.“It is 126,000, which is almost identical to the 127,000 skilled trade workers who were unemployed in 2025,” Seeback said.“Do you want to apologize to the 127,000 unemployed skilled trade workers whose jobs went to 126,000 temporary foreign workers?”Diab rejected the suggestion that foreign workers were displacing Canadians..“We have been clear that Canadians always deserve and should be getting the jobs first,” she said.“The important thing here is that these jobs are to fill labour gaps.”The minister said temporary foreign workers are often employed in rural communities and regions facing labour shortages.“We continue to prioritize tradespeople such as carpenters, plumbers and machinists,” said Diab. “We have been told these are gaps and that workers are needed today here in Canada particularly as we build the country.”Diab did not identify who determined Canada faces a shortage of skilled trades workers.Some labour groups have challenged that assessment. Ironworkers Local 97 in Maple Ridge, B.C., has called for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to be suspended, arguing it suppresses wages and undermines employment opportunities for Canadian workers.Federal officials have previously acknowledged concerns about the program's impact on wages.A 2022 Department of Labour report evaluating the Temporary Foreign Worker Program found migrant labour had reduced wages in sectors including construction, trucking and fish processing, where foreign workers were willing to accept lower pay than many Canadian workers.While the report did not quantify wage losses, it warned there was evidence of job displacement and wage suppression in certain industries and regions.“Temporary foreign workers represented only 0.5% of the total labour force in Canada,” the report stated.“There is however evidence of varying factors affecting unemployment and working conditions in localized labour markets. This points to some risk of job displacement or wage suppression in some specific sectors, occupations and regions.”.The debate also comes as Ottawa continues to grapple with the number of undocumented migrants living in Canada.An immigration department briefing note dated April 24, 2025, acknowledged there are no reliable figures on the size of the illegal immigrant population.“There are no accurate figures representing the number or composition of undocumented immigrants residing in Canada,” the document stated.“Estimates suggest the population could be as high as 500,000.”
