Canada's federal government has acknowledged it has no reliable system to track whether millions of temporary migrants are leaving the country as required, raising concerns about the scale of illegal overstays. Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab made the admission during a House of Commons committee hearing on Monday, responding to questioning from Conservative MP Costas Menegakis.
Minister Admits Tracking Gap
When asked why Canada does not monitor whether foreigners leave after their permits expire, Diab replied, 'That is a good question. I wondered the same thing, but that is how Canada has been throughout its history.' She added, 'I agree with you. We should have it, and we are working towards it. That is the good news.'
The exchange highlighted a longstanding gap in Canada's immigration enforcement. Unlike many countries, Canada does not maintain a comprehensive exit-tracking system for temporary residents, including international students, foreign workers, and asylum seekers.
Record Migration Surge
Between 2022 and 2024, the Liberal government admitted a record number of non-permanent residents. In 2023 alone, immigration officials approved 684,000 study permits and 240,000 new slots for temporary foreign workers, alongside historically high asylum claims averaging 400 per day. Statistics Canada data shows that the country's non-permanent resident population surged from 1.4 million in 2021 to 3 million in 2024—equivalent to adding the entire population of Manitoba in just three years.
Despite the influx, the government has little data on departures. The official count of non-permanent residents, currently about 2.7 million, relies heavily on IRCC permit data and can only estimate how many unpermitted migrants have left. A 2024 IRCC briefing note warned that the number of undocumented migrants could be as high as 500,000.
Ongoing Approvals Amid Uncertainty
Ottawa plans to approve another 210,700 foreign work permits this year, even as the number of temporary migrants living illegally may be in the hundreds of thousands. Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel Garner challenged Diab, asking, 'Why are you letting in so many temporary foreign labourers when you do not have a way to track people whose permits might have expired?'
Diab defended the policy, citing business needs: 'I have travelled across the country; businesses, communities in all parts of the country are needing foreign workers.'
The lack of an exit-tracking mechanism has drawn criticism from opposition parties and policy experts, who argue it undermines immigration enforcement and border integrity. The government has not announced a timeline for implementing a tracking system.
