 鲜花( 2)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html
, R; `5 [7 N8 J- C- ^$ k1 Q+ V4 ?. `" N& P3 R0 P6 t
0 E3 ?# O4 C8 Q) B3 j; P# u7 U6 W
CALGARY — An agreement between Alberta and the federal government will allow 25,000 foreign workers per year to come to the province to aid in its worker shortage. 4 L$ O9 H& @5 T& ~* i+ i2 @
$ ]- ?3 E: r* l) q1 Z% s
Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration. 7 ~# l' R7 K- b: z" G& n1 H
# `0 Y$ p3 q- H" D* R3 P
The rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program. : }0 ~7 o" E2 w8 R$ ]0 z
, ~9 [! B7 e- IRight now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. 7 `- P, s! z, g# s, ]
+ v0 \4 |( r6 g# E d9 a. vFederal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. ' C. r) G/ k1 j6 ^5 B9 }
% u! v0 C" t3 V- H
The pact gives Alberta the power to nominate more immigrants possessing skills needed in the province and also provides more resources to help them settle here.
9 U# l% t; g. g7 D- w& S9 f: b! h5 B5 l8 P; e
It’s a step in the right direction in breaking down time-consuming, frustrating barriers facing immigrants seeking to ply their skills here, said Fariboz Birjandian, chairman of the Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies. ! L; o, n3 a8 a5 w
3 l: \1 c7 N8 u, W: y
But Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. ! g% _- L6 X- h4 w( p
/ g6 w, @0 O7 w; Z; ~) @. U+ n) s9 v“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said.
0 p, U) p$ m }+ J: D4 |4 S; D( F% u- O8 i7 |
“And we don’t want Calgary becoming a city where all the rich people live on one side and all the poor on the other.” ' E$ A8 j& k- |' N( F
0 m! |& g7 b6 i* n CStelmach said the province is giving $285 million in new money for affordable housing and is trying to tackle that problem. |
|