Toronto, ON – Doug Ford’s recent announcement that Ontario will begin issuing its own work permits to asylum seekers is beginning to ignite a total shitstorm, with its potential impact on the province’s already challenging job market. The move, announced at the end of the premiers’ meeting in Huntsville, comes as Ontario deals with an unemployment rate significantly higher than the national average.
“We will be issuing our own work permits. We aren’t going to sit around and wait for the federal government,” Ford announced, stating his intention to leverage Section 95 of the Constitution Act, which allows provinces to legislate on immigration concurrently with the federal government.
The Premier’s rationale, according to his staff, stems from a desire to integrate asylum seekers into the workforce rather than having them rely on social assistance. Ford, whose Etobicoke North riding houses many asylum seekers in hotels, noted, “I have a tremendous amount of asylum seekers that are up in Etobicoke in the hotels. They’re healthy, they’re willing to work, they’re hardworking people. They want to get out there and they want to be like every other Canadian. They want to find a job, they want to be able to first start off renting a condo or part of a house and then buying a house.”
While acknowledging the supposed compassion of Ford’s stance, critics argue that the plan is a “horrible idea.” What it could do to Ontario’s existing labour market and the broader asylum system – not to mention what it could do to Canada’s national security – has many up in arms.
A Challenging Job Market
Ontario’s current unemployment rate stands at 7.5% as of June 2025, noticeably above the national average of 6.9%. Even more concerning is the youth unemployment rate, which sits at a staggering 17.4% for returning students aged 15 to 24, as of June 2025. Many of the entry-level positions asylum seekers would likely fill are exactly those sought by young Canadians entering the workforce.
Regionally, the job market presents an even worse picture in several key urban centers (as of June 2025): Toronto’s unemployment rate is 9.7%, Oshawa is at 9.1%, Kingston stands at 8.6%, Hamilton at 7.4%, and Windsor is experiencing a particularly high rate of 12.9%.
Into this already strained environment, Ford’s plan proposes to introduce potentially over 100,000 individuals who have sought asylum over the past few years and are currently awaiting work permits. This raises significant questions about the government’s strategy for job creation and the potential impact on existing workers.
Concerns Over Asylum System Integrity
Critics argue that Ford’s initiative, regardless of its intentions, risks undermining the integrity of Canada’s asylum system. The current system is designed for legitimate refugees fleeing war or persecution. There is a growing concern that an open-door policy for provincial work permits could encourage abuse of the system, with individuals declaring asylum primarily to gain access to work permits rather than due to genuine persecution.
The concern is that “word will spread around the world — don’t follow the system, just go to Ontario, declare asylum, get a work permit and never leave.” This could exacerbate existing challenges, particularly given the recent trend of temporary foreign workers and international students declaring asylum rather than departing Canada upon permit expiry. Last year, an average of 1,500 people per month arrived at Toronto and Ottawa airports declaring asylum.
A Shift in Tone?
The Premier’s current stance has been described as a “political talking point” and a “complete bizarre” shift in tone by Syed Hussan. He pointed out Ford’s past rhetoric, including a 2018 statement that the province had to “take care of our own” before prioritizing immigrants. Furthermore, in 2022, after briefly removing land from the Greenbelt for housing, Ford cited rising immigration – the year Canada welcomed a record 430,000 newcomers – as a justification. It reinforces suspicions that Ford is planning an entrance into federal politics – as a Liberal – given the degree of effort he has put forth cozying up to the Carney Liberals while bashing the federal Conservative Party.
Hussan added, “He’s been really in this divine and conquer, pitting migrants against everyone else to cause a distraction, and now suddenly he’s the champion of refugees working.”
Call for Reconsideration
Regardless of how well-intentioned Ford’s idea may be, many believe it is fundamentally wrong and must be reconsidered. Observers suggest that if the Premier is unwilling to listen to reason, then his cabinet and caucus should take a stand and push back against the proposa. The consensus among those opposed to the plan is clear: This is a horrible idea, and has to be stopped.
