 鲜花( 2)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html
- ?$ J$ n4 G* ~' V2 U$ H* X) u1 K3 s( U& K# J
/ i8 G6 h8 I. f+ }/ g$ w) s! |6 t
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. 9 {3 `$ o" U1 C. m
6 K! i$ J- s* J9 n. b3 SAlberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration. 0 R) u0 Y- M9 c: h5 u9 o
! `% Z1 F( J& f0 e
The rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program. y2 |3 N5 r: L0 e M$ Z/ l
8 a$ n2 D v% Q5 ^. P9 MRight now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. # A5 K) O' H' u/ W% ^$ O y$ F
# X/ m9 t8 b+ MFederal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada.
. C" o8 K) t$ v! k! k4 r
. ]% ?; M: T) \) w0 r; }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.
2 A7 z; t- n6 I3 x$ M" J O: h9 X, B& k& e$ j! f
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. . m; _" c0 }0 X3 U
$ k+ [- n, G+ X) d* b# Z
But Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. ( ^/ J' T3 M& I/ a
: N9 U$ T3 a3 `
“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said.
+ M2 `" d4 m! V; t1 J0 q8 R0 y( H }. f
“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.” / [8 s2 r& _- U6 U3 E1 o. G# m7 Z
, p& U0 C4 c: ?! C
Stelmach said the province is giving $285 million in new money for affordable housing and is trying to tackle that problem. |
|