‘I cleaned washrooms to get where I am’: Indian-origin entrepreneur says Trudeau’s immigration policies brought ‘worst criminals’ to Canada

An Indian‑origin businessman in Canada criticised former prime minister Justin Trudeau for his immigration policies. He said the surge in new arrivals brought “the worst criminals” to the country and harmed immigrants like himself.In a post on X, Vijay Sapps said he arrived in Canada as a student nearly 26 years ago and worked cleaning washrooms, as a dishwasher and at gas stations to build his life. “I can tell you Trudeau is the worst thing to happen to Canada and immigrants like me,” he wrote. Sapps added: “He brought the worst criminals to Canada. Criminals who with fake degree, fake IELTS, who can’t get a job in India, so came here and destroying everything for everyone and the worst affected as immigrants.”Sapps said that rising immigration under Trudeau’s Liberal government put too much pressure on public services and made it hard for people to speak out, with critics often called xenophobic. He said the large number of temporary residents, like international students and foreign workers, and claimed some used fake documents to come to Canada.Canada’s immigration policy under Trudeau aimed to support economic growth, address labour shortages, and respond to an ageing population. Annual permanent resident targets rose from around 300,000 before the pandemic to 485,000 in 2024, with plans to reach 500,000 by 2025–26. Post‑pandemic surges also increased the number of temporary residents to more than 7 per cent of the population by 2024, putting pressure on housing, healthcare, and other services.In response to growing concerns, Trudeau admitted in October 2024 that immigration levels were not balanced and announced cuts in the 2025–27 Immigration Levels Plan. Permanent resident targets were lowered to 395,000 in 2025, 380,000 in 2026, and 365,000 in 2027. The plan also aimed to reduce the number of temporary residents, with about 385,000 planned for 2026, much lower than before.Vijay Sapps is a Canadian entrepreneur and CEO of Ela Capital. He is of Indian and Sri Lankan heritage and based in Toronto, Canada.