Broken Borders? - Poilievre and Immigration Part 2
A peak inside the mind of the Conservatives' top contender, and what his approach to immigration might look like.
Let’s continue on with our analysis on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s stance on immigration, by instead focusing on crucial areas: border security, temporary residents, asylum seekers, and citizenship policy.
On Border Security
Poilievre has expressed a strict vision for Canadian border security, particularly regarding irregular crossings and illegal immigration — an issue that he has become increasingly vocal about since Trump’s U.S. election win.
Back in 2023, he pushed to close Roxham Road with the goal of discouraging additional irregular crossings — claiming that:
“under [Trudeau’s] leadership, the number of illegal border crossing has gone up tenfold”.
Late last year, he grilled Federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller on what would happen if crossings from Canada, “provoking a massive retaliatory response” from the U.S.
On 1 Dec 2024, Poilievre held a press conference to discuss his ideas on increased border security measures, including boosting patrols and technology to cut down on illegal drug trafficking — reiterating that the Trump administration would threaten tariffs “unless there’s is action to address Trudeau’s broken border”.
(Since his comments, Canada hs banned flagpoling and announced tightened border security measures.)
On Asylum Seekers
Poilievre has previously expressed skepticism over refugee claims, suggesting that Canada cap the number of asylum seekers. According to Poilievre:
“Our country was built in large part by real refugees who were genuinely fleeing danger, like my wife. But I have no time for people who lie to come into our country, and that is the problem we have to cut off."
He has also highlighted his claims of abuse in asylum cases, calling for a reinstatement of visa requirements for Mexico and citing an increase in asylum applications.
On Temporary Residents
Poilievre has argued for a more strict approach to managing Canada’s temporary workers, calling for stronger alignment with Canada’s economic needs, including healthcare and skilled trades. His proposals call for:
Faster credential recognition for skilled workers (especially for housing construction)
Expanded regional programs (eg Provincial Nominee Program)
He has also called for more restrictive criteria on temporary workers and international students (eg requiring proof of financial means and proof of housing secured before approval).
Regarding international students, he has promising that he would extend the Liberals’ international student cap. In a visit to Kitchener last summer, Poilievre argued:
“First we’re going to end the fraud and abuse in the international student program. Require that every new student that comes here has proof they have income, a home and an admission letter to a real college, university or training centre.”
On Birthright Citizenship
Poilievre has not directly stated his views on birthright citizenship. We’ll note that the official Conservative Party of Canada’s latest policy declaration calls for the elimination of birthright citizenship, saying:
“We encourage the government to enact legislation which will fully eliminate birthright citizenship in Canada unless one of the parents of the child born in Canada is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada”. -CPC Policy Declaration #161
Poilievre’s previous focus on tying immigration to economic needs and housing capacity could indirectly affect policies on birthright citizenships — but likely in the short term this would only reflect changes to certain immigration streams like Express Entry (eg introducing new draws for skilled workers).
*It’s important to note that Canada’s current policy of jus soli (birthright citizenship) is enshrined in the Citizenship Act, and any changes would face serious and significant legal and constitutional barriers.
Next Steps
As the U.S. administration continues to escalate its movement to aggressively address immigration issues — including birthright citizenship and border security — keep an eye on how the Conservative Leader responds.
As we race towards a federal election, Poilievre may need to give immigration policy a serious rethink. Analysts are already describing the issue of a “carbon tax election” as dead, and that the top contending issue will be how to best confront a hostile U.S. administration.
Demonstrating strong leadership on immigration policy will be a key issue going forward — that much is clear.