Canada says 'no' to amnesty for 200,000 illegal workers

"We remain committed to protecting the integrity of the immigration system," Citizenship and Immigration Canada spokeswoman Melanie Carkner told AFP.

Offering amnesty "would encourage illegal immigration and it's unfair to the hundreds of thousands of people who applied through legal channels and have waited patiently," she said.

Andy Manahan of Universal Workers Union Local 183 lamented the decision, saying it "is short-sighted" and could have "a great negative economic impact" on Canada's booming construction sector, which relies on foreign workers.