 鲜花( 2)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html
) H; r4 i" b7 D2 w& u6 \' B
; S `5 G5 ^. Y; C8 t
U6 M. P" V0 U tCALGARY — 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.
0 I5 r& l. a- j, g) ?; Y: Q
9 ~7 ]9 u; F* Z- l9 f! B: E0 cAlberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration. 0 x, s" ~ M3 q$ F# f( k* R. p
) T( t( l/ D( P0 Z m/ p
The rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program. $ Z5 Y( m4 Z0 m. l% b! @7 S
3 l$ L; `- M# | c) a2 tRight now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program.
* h6 L! x. Q) i
7 `5 ]& S1 A" w* u: kFederal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. : ]. c |) u: L b Q, V; A
' s2 c" B l) lThe 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.
1 m$ U0 }% h6 F+ y& z
: S) Y E9 p6 jIt’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.
7 N; t+ A" Z6 q' y7 k X; ~6 N6 N9 v3 G5 y
But Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers.
4 w- C/ k% \2 A1 }- B; }* n. G% ?* b$ |" {+ W3 N1 h
“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said. + {9 B1 M: D6 \/ k) z5 q* c
& ]' u2 v1 W) Y, @7 W“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.” ! q v: {, q4 N6 W) p; e
* \* G0 R; ?, t* C9 U. C2 b
Stelmach said the province is giving $285 million in new money for affordable housing and is trying to tackle that problem. |
|