 鲜花( 2)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html6 H: j( B3 p: Q7 X
- p. V9 p* ?$ t% J/ |9 V; n$ o2 K2 i0 n9 }, B
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. , _: F- n6 H3 ]) ]3 q: J
+ v8 O/ @+ v8 ]" y: a# pAlberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration.
7 r, S# t$ b2 y; U* s5 c' P% t* P( c/ ^/ h5 ]
The rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program. 7 G1 i4 z+ z [* q! P/ x, X
5 q* e. S/ ?' [5 Q* J' G* F" ^
Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. 1 b1 M: K; w! ? f
5 _3 p' S( B! o' Q+ C9 B
Federal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada.
/ z5 `) H8 c. a( r `& I/ O4 T0 y3 K5 n) p- `3 P: w9 G2 B) @ C: a
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.
( A; u1 f. }; e, W, U& @* Q
9 f4 {* r$ e/ O6 D, h; x. @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. ' r1 X1 I5 J1 K/ F9 l
. Q' f. L5 z2 X7 C8 ^- j
But Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. 1 ?' h' t: l, G) W5 j1 ^9 ~8 K" F
. |3 |# y2 ?* H+ W: ^( b' X7 b
“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said.
s$ `7 R7 c- j ^1 b. S) W' i2 c0 f- p( G {7 t( M" h8 q2 u, ~0 m
“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.”
2 Q/ [. s+ f9 d6 b; r: M9 r" u N+ T
Stelmach said the province is giving $285 million in new money for affordable housing and is trying to tackle that problem. |
|