Immigration ministers from across Canada met in Winnipeg on October 12 to discuss the issues facing Canadian immigration. Immigrant settlement assistance, refugee programs, and the expansion of the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) were all on the agenda. At the meeting, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, John McCallum, also announced that the federal government would reveal the target for new refugee intake levels for 2017 to 2018 by November 1.
Highlights from the Winnipeg Meeting
McCallum met with his provincial counterparts to discuss the management of Canada’s refugee intake. Between November 15, 2015 and October 2, 2016, Canada welcomed more than 31,919 Syrian refugees, and the government is continuing to process more than 20,000 applications.
Provincial ministers from across Canada called for the expansion of the PNP intake levels. For example, Manitoba’s Minister of Education and Training, Ian Wishart, who oversees immigration in the province, called for an end to the cap on the number of applications that may be received to the Manitoba PNP.
Ministers discussed improving existing settlement programs to assist immigrants upon arrival in Canada. Specifically, ministers discussed the importance of recognizing foreign qualifications. Ministers agreed to increase information and data sharing on successful integration efforts, in order to research and improve settlement programs for newcomers.
The expansion of Francophone immigration was discussed, as Economic Development Minister Francine Landry presented the objectives of a ministerial forum on francophone immigration, which will be held in the spring of 2017 in New Brunswick.
It was acknowledged that an administrative review would be needed to research possible improvements to the processing of economic immigration applications.