 鲜花( 2)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html; l: j! O# ^% m1 l* ^
7 M% L; g( @0 Q b H" E
$ H' n# {5 L/ M3 x! S
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.
& z; i) T6 R' \5 _/ P, W. j
+ s# U! d3 B( p" Q* G- NAlberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration. : u8 d$ m/ M7 B, D# j# U* R
; W. X& X- Z! D2 _1 n) q
The rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program.
5 H# ~. A( d7 q4 l5 Z: K( V5 V5 n/ w/ j
Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. . V; |; ]/ e b$ c
4 `& N! p, q0 U4 `+ w; CFederal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada.
& G( }7 L8 E' M+ b+ n# @ `5 y' d& f5 K; ^' j
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. 6 k. E2 R( [: r- w- H
$ q% U4 x6 Y: c# j& [7 Q
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. 2 q: s1 H M4 @" m7 J
( ~6 m* ]) p3 ?. W zBut Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. 3 }2 Q: t( t2 P6 k' F
- M/ n* R" `8 F4 z“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said. # l) |( o8 m% ?: A: ^3 y
; e* X$ f( z" l% R“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.” ; g1 B, O3 V) L- Y4 v
I" ~% i. k0 x" }: a
Stelmach said the province is giving $285 million in new money for affordable housing and is trying to tackle that problem. |
|