OTTAWA — Two federal public service unions say the Immigration Department is set to cut 3,300 jobs.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Canada Employment and Immigration Union say in a joint statement that the department has not said who will be affected by the cuts.

The unions say more information is expected in mid-February but that the cuts were brought up in a union-management meeting before staff were notified.

The unions say staff at the department are essential to the work of processing citizenship and permanent residency applications, issuing passports and conducting interviews.

Both unions are urging the government to cut down on outside contracting instead of downsizing staff.

Public service employees have been braced for layoffs since the government launched an effort to refocus federal spending in 2023.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 20, 2025.

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press