 鲜花( 2)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html, v0 A& @% l7 m; y( S
& A' I1 [% K) h2 X" G
. `+ _2 d/ V2 p- K& mCALGARY — 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. 2 s3 y8 ?$ }( W: ^5 \ p
6 R* b0 A8 ]5 Y8 E0 [# s( ~# ~% }$ RAlberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration. 7 H1 B2 x# ]& t0 a# L
/ s* c; L+ o! v U& O
The rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program.
* H& C6 j D; M& H+ N( ~2 Y
( A* y" O$ V+ ^8 lRight now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. n2 X7 }; h0 `4 g8 s. Y' h
! d& d3 B( o/ \9 ]( f
Federal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. 1 {& ?* K/ `2 t. @. W
: `% h$ s" }" K ?) MThe 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 m7 e6 r& A% E) R, W/ t
# D! }7 y& l) e+ IIt’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. 1 f& b& }! T: ~5 W7 o
- a; _$ P, K; t
But Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers.
6 a3 ?4 ?5 b% p
4 Q8 o2 o9 A; ]$ v; X! A: _“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said.
7 U' |# ^8 c7 B7 c; \" L+ G, l: [! [
“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.” , ~! }' M, Z2 l: ^) u
; |7 Z! V- H/ O# uStelmach said the province is giving $285 million in new money for affordable housing and is trying to tackle that problem. |
|