The “Alberta Next” initiative, led by Premier Danielle Smith, represents a significant push toward greater provincial autonomy within Canada. Through town halls and surveys conducted throughout the province from July to the end of September, this project sought public input on crucial policy areas—including immigration and pensions—while asserting Alberta’s constitutional rights within Canada.

The separatist movement in Alberta is tied to their perceived ideas of Western alienation and dissatisfaction with federal policies in Canada. It has the risk to significantly alter immigration policies and the treatment of newcomers. Critics worry that increased provincial autonomy could lead to more restrictive immigration policies that are worse than the current federal standards, potentially creating a system that discriminates between “desirable” and “undesirable” migrants.

Canada’s historical context provides important lessons about the dangers of xenophobia in immigration policy. From the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1923 to the internment of Japanese Canadians during World War II, past policies demonstrate how prejudice can shape immigration decisions, with lasting consequences for affected communities.

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) in Alberta already shows signs of structural inequality. Recent changes, including restrictions on low-wage foreign worker contracts to one-year terms, have sparked debate about worker security and labour market stability. Critics argue that the program enables employer exploitation while providing limited pathways to permanent residency.

As migrants in Alberta deal with the anti-migrant rhetoric, the federal government’s Bill C-2, the Strong Borders Act, poses significant implications for migrants in Canada and has the potential to increase deportation rates.

Bill C-2 heavily emulates American immigration policies. Additionally, the bill grants new powers to law enforcement agencies, allowing them to conduct mass immigration cancellations. This could lead to a scenario where large groups of migrants are processed for deportation simultaneously—further exacerbating the already precarious conditions many migrants already face. This bill would work hand in hand with the “Alberta Next” program.

The TFWP embodies the principles of neoliberalism by enabling employers to fill labour shortages with foreign workers, effectively sidestepping many protections traditionally afforded to domestic labour.

TFWP is crucial for the functioning of sectors struggling with labour shortages, thereby reinforcing its neoliberal appeal. The focus on economic efficiency often trumps social concerns, leading to calls for the program to serve as a flexible labour market tool rather than a pathway for permanent immigration.

Under the existing framework, temporary foreign workers often face precarious conditions, particularly in sectors like agriculture, construction, and health care. The program’s structure, which emphasizes economic efficiency over social protection, prioritizes flexible labour markets over workers’ rights and stability.

The intersection of Alberta’s sovereignty movement with immigration policy raises significant concerns about the future treatment of migrants. The clamour for provincial autonomy initiatives and current immigration programs could further marginalize vulnerable workers, particularly those from racialized communities.

Under neoliberal globalization, migrants will remain precarious, regardless of Alberta’s separation rhetoric. Economic disparities and Alberta’s demand for cheap labour ensure migrants will continue to be treated as disposable workers, filling low-wage jobs in industries like agriculture, construction, and health care.

Temporary work programs, lack of pathways to permanency, and exclusion from social services keep migrants in insecure conditions, while wage suppression and limited unionization exacerbate exploitation.

The “Alberta Next” project reflects separatist rhetoric that reinforces Alberta’s reliance on the global neoliberal system, which exploits migrant labour while deepening systemic inequalities. By ignoring precarious working conditions, lack of labour protections, and systemic barriers, it sidelines migrants, Indigenous communities, and low-wage workers, prioritizing corporate interests and entrenching marginalization instead of addressing structural injustices.

Alberta’s resource-driven economy, tied to the global neoliberal system, perpetuates these dynamics, with racialized and gendered inequalities further marginalizing migrants. Systemic change is needed to address labour rights, resist neoliberal policies, and build solidarity to challenge the exploitation inherent in these structures.