 鲜花( 2)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html
9 \" ]& t) ~( Y* L. L" O. S+ P1 U6 U& ^8 }# B! y2 v9 S
7 {' _. \' n. ?- \- j7 W i) @
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. * j0 T; A+ k6 A# C% K
, A5 X% K3 U. S. k- N' oAlberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration. ) m' u6 x4 r2 ^+ C7 Z0 u, ?3 l
9 V' ^ m; E6 S3 o( g5 J# m c
The rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program.
. @' ~& A, h+ b9 u1 Q& d W: I- G4 M' b
Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program.
3 a/ M4 J! U2 d% a' v1 @5 w$ `
Federal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. $ e5 K" b9 m. q& |6 m7 n( e
3 i5 Q% J; `. R/ H' yThe 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. + R3 H; k! y/ S4 ^: t' G
/ H4 Z! J: S7 B. f* g6 j$ P2 M' 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. , O- d5 u. s3 v- X. d! t
O7 Y( X* M/ h, v
But Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers.
) R- r& Y5 o3 P; A1 W: r3 e4 J8 R" _4 i, g- K7 K% C6 k/ F H
“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said.
5 Y# X8 E2 x. M1 P0 L1 I" x+ M; p8 ?& 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.”
& x3 q( N* X) l& g# I2 F4 y* [3 ]3 K7 I. c
Stelmach said the province is giving $285 million in new money for affordable housing and is trying to tackle that problem. |
|