To sustain economic growth and support its strained health care and pension systems…
Great news for those who are planning to come to Canada as permanent residents, hoping that by the end of next year, Canada’s population will increase by another 300,000 new permanent residents, far from the recommendation by the Advisory Council on Economic Growth which stated that the annual immigration should be increased over a five-year period by 50 per cent, to 450,000 from 300,000.
“That number is a conceivable number for same date in the future, but certainly not for 2017,” said Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Minister John McCallum during the announcement of making the 2016 level of immigration would be at the same level for 2017.
And the breakdown of the target number for 2017 gives the economic immigrants intake of 57.7%; and the family reunification, 28.%; and because of the Syrian refugee conflict, the government decided 13.3% for refugees; and humanitarian decisions get 1.2%.
Accepting more skilled immigrants through express entry and the provincial nominee programs, the government takes priority to zero in in the economic immigrant category to generate more economic growth and to enhance a stronger bond in the social fabric of he various communities, as Kevin Lamoureux, MP, Winnipeg North Centre, and the Parliamentary Secretary to the government house leader as he postulated: “Immigrants not only fill jobs that would otherwise remains vacant and help to develop provincial economies, but they also contribute to the character and the social fabric of communities.” And he added focusing on the success of the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program that if it weren’t for immigration thru the PNP, the population of Manitoba would have declined in the last decade.
But from some quarters, increased immigration would be a burden for the Canadian government in terms of medical care, housing and security. And other MPs raised their voices that jobs in Canada are getting scarce specially in Alberta, as Alberta MP Tom Kmiec, PC, said;”Albertans get first crack at the job.”.
Other voices cited that there will be problems in the coming years if immigration becomes stagnant, leading to more problems because of the aging population and low birth rate, and that the increase of immigration will sustain economic growth and support its strained health care and pension systems.
One official voiced his concern: “Who will pay for our pension plans?” More tax collections and pension plan supports are tied up with the 57.7% target of economic immigrants. The skilled workers are tax payers and the current pension payments support the current pension payment.
Other voices are very disconcerting as you view some comments of Canadians who are against the increase on the intake of new immigrants. One might sum up those comments as a sheer frustration for someone who could not find a job; or someone who has a mindset that Canada is only for the white people; and that multiculturalism has changed the image of a country; and that our security is being compromised.
With so much land we have to explore, and with so much skilled jobs are waiting to be filled; and with the aging population and the negative effect of a low birth rate; and with the sustainability of economic growth in the coming decades, immigration has a major role to fire the engine of economic growth, and making the mosaic of immigrants more colorful and exciting.
I love Canada! And we welcome the 300,000 new permanent residents with an open arms, hearts and minds.
Filipino Journal Paskuhan celebration with new immigrants. Filipino Journal Image Archives.
