 鲜花( 2)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html
: [5 J9 d* `. A; c' K( i1 i5 B2 ]$ q o- z
+ `5 M/ ]) d% c# u/ zCALGARY — 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. 3 e' ^) W0 \! X3 u: P
& B n; |. _, ]
Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration. 5 i y: C; M* ~" i
; H* G6 y( o/ `( Y9 R3 t4 I2 [
The rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program.
8 B" q3 q3 D, h! ~ u& h! ]6 j3 L) D8 {! P0 r) |
Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. 4 A8 n; x8 H$ l6 `4 `: s! ~9 n# O; U) b
. q, Q( M: M5 x2 j1 {) A* SFederal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada.
( _! m' C: K/ K7 i0 M
$ _2 K3 J2 f6 k/ f) N' j8 e2 v5 ~6 [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.
$ @3 [+ i5 y5 @- \
3 M" }. U5 t! x3 a1 u) qIt’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. 3 z, g* R5 k; G, `) e
5 B0 c! p) ~: {1 D9 hBut Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers.
" \; f: \0 o& f: P1 v% @) p6 A4 J1 L3 a; f6 f! s
“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said.
$ w1 v8 ~4 C- G# ^/ k/ K- ]* x0 ?0 Q$ u" 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.” ( o; @- ?# h9 r* I/ K3 o% o+ V
, e: | h3 d' b* m5 C( F+ F( i. K# JStelmach said the province is giving $285 million in new money for affordable housing and is trying to tackle that problem. |
|