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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html% K1 m1 U5 {! `
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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.
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4 u2 }+ t, C6 d$ l) xAlberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration.
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' V! {" I& ~8 M5 K" a3 k0 n4 qThe rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program. + \8 I9 X( }: |
u _; U7 a4 e0 l! F1 `# \Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program.
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Federal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. ! l4 {. c# \: C$ p/ h: k- W9 L
. L/ \% W& M" i& W' F0 d! [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. * E7 m- x) w+ P$ R. {
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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. % n. [: A3 `, C1 V, x% X; d
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But Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. / O3 U6 [- y, @
9 U/ |% z) W% `9 S' `! \" N“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said.
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8 m& Z8 Y# l- H, B( A1 `% y! ^“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.” 6 O+ f& w6 I+ k
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Stelmach said the province is giving $285 million in new money for affordable housing and is trying to tackle that problem. |
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