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The Canadian government, and incompetent Immigration minister Lena Metlege Diab under Prime Minister Mark Carney, has made a profoundly misguided decision to invite 17,860 people to sponsor their parents and grandparents for immigration starting July 28, 2025, with up to 10,000 applications accepted, as announced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada on March 7, 2025. This move, part of the Parents and Grandparents Program, will bring thousands of older immigrants, typically in their 50s, 60s, or older, into a country whose healthcare system is already collapsing under the weight of its current load. In 2023, over 1.3 million Canadians walked away from emergency rooms without care because wait times were unbearable, a 34% increase from the previous year, according to CTV News. Half of admitted patients languish in emergency departments for over 16 hours, and one in ten waits over 48 hours, as reported by the Canadian Institute for Health Information in 2024. With only 2.5 acute care beds per 1,000 people, Canada ranks near the bottom of developed nations, far behind countries like Germany with 5.5 beds, per Think Research Canada in 2022. This is not a system that can handle an influx of older immigrants who, by virtue of age, are statistically more likely to need frequent doctor visits, hospitalizations, and long-term care, as evidenced by a 2013 PMC study on healthcare utilization.
The Carney administration’s decision to push forward with this program is nothing short of reckless, especially given the government’s own acknowledgment of healthcare strain. Carney himself, in a May 3, 2025, press conference, admitted that high immigration levels under his predecessor, Justin Trudeau, overwhelmed infrastructure, promising to stabilize admissions by 2027, according to BBC News Pidgin. Yet, here we are, with a policy that invites thousands more into a system already failing its own citizens. Canadian taxpayers, who fund this universal healthcare system, are left to bear the burden of a government that seems oblivious to the basic principle that piling more weight on a crumbling foundation will cause it to collapse. Hospitals are not just crowded; they are operating in crisis mode, with patients languishing in hallways and makeshift wards, as documented by the Fraser Institute in 2020. The Canadian Medical Association in 2024 reported ongoing staffing shortages and burnout among healthcare workers, yet the government has shown no meaningful plan to increase hospital beds or hire more staff to match the increased demand this immigration program will likely bring.
While the government claims sponsors must cover healthcare costs for their parents and grandparents, as outlined by Chaudhary Law in 2024, this does nothing to address the physical reality of overcrowded hospitals. Money does not magically create more beds or doctors when the system is already stretched beyond capacity. Statistics Canada in 2021 noted that immigrants aged 65 and older have hospitalization rates comparable to Canadian-born seniors, meaning these newcomers will still compete for the same scarce resources. Canadian citizens, who have paid taxes their entire lives for healthcare access, are being sidelined as wait times grow and emergency rooms turn into holding pens. The Financial Post in 2022 called for a pause on mass immigration until healthcare capacity catches up, a sensible plea that the Carney government has ignored. Instead, they are forging ahead with a program that risks flooding an already drowning system, making a mockery of their supposed commitment to sustainability.
This decision exposes a shameful lack of foresight from Carney, his cabinet, and IRCC officials who manage the program. Health Canada and provincial health ministers, responsible for overseeing healthcare delivery, share the blame for failing to expand infrastructure despite years of warnings about overcrowding. The Canadian Journal on Aging in 2022 highlighted how older immigrants face barriers to primary care, which could delay their healthcare needs initially but lead to higher costs and system strain later as issues escalate. The government’s own data shows the healthcare system is not equipped to handle its current population, let alone thousands more who will inevitably need care. Adding insult to injury, Canadian taxpayers are forced to subsidize a system that prioritizes global family reunification over the needs of citizens struggling to get a doctor’s appointment. Policy Options in 2025 suggested converting empty office buildings into hospitals, a desperate idea that underscores how dire the situation has become, yet the government seems content to exacerbate the problem.
The sheer stupidity of this policy lies in its defiance of basic logic: you cannot keep loading a broken system without catastrophic consequences. The government’s decision to invite 17,860 potential sponsors, knowing only 10,000 applications will be processed, still risks bringing thousands of older immigrants into a healthcare system that cannot even serve its own people. This is not compassion; it is negligence. Canadian taxpayers should not be footing the bill for a system that appears to offer free medical services to the world while citizens wait days in emergency rooms or give up entirely. The Carney Liberals’ failure to pair this immigration increase with tangible healthcare investments is an embarrassment, a clear signal they are out of touch with the realities Canadians face. This policy is a slap in the face to every taxpayer who expects their government to prioritize their health and well-being over political optics.
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