 鲜花( 2)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html
5 ?& X; b: z( r
9 y, E4 R3 y( y
$ ?( ?; O# l8 v5 o, ZCALGARY — 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. $ [- k1 E# T5 s( C4 n" W
( b; F; f* e) u
Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration. 1 W* p6 ?/ A( X' u$ L! E
( c6 A: [, e- W1 c/ G. _
The rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program.
6 x5 q) P, ]# D
' U" b9 L: x2 JRight now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program.
. {5 i7 ?0 W3 F8 W5 S9 u$ S5 r/ @: n& c; G
Federal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. % n& a5 L$ e6 ]' ~
. W2 F- f: j( ^1 ?" V$ gThe 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.
2 v2 S$ n. f7 a% p* M! Q! w- N2 y: }% B- |& k, n
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.
' Q, Z- A, Z9 D1 x
; D+ B. h' `! c0 S i4 ]But Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. 1 g6 e7 `4 Q1 S( G
4 b$ a/ W# M3 \8 ~% b“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said. & W8 K$ C# p0 g6 C5 N* ~% `( u
& s9 I/ n' y z( p6 g) J
“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.”
# \% ~$ w7 V$ h4 B! D% Q5 K3 h% b$ h" {" y1 f3 k h: _+ @% C
Stelmach said the province is giving $285 million in new money for affordable housing and is trying to tackle that problem. |
|