 鲜花( 2)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html6 }+ ]. _" T7 h$ M, p6 a
% P0 x+ s5 M/ z* D! j
9 R' ~! h8 `7 w- ]6 l3 m0 xCALGARY — 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.
9 @! G* l# [5 ]. `5 j, n0 |. q0 C+ K1 Z9 z# U+ q) q* H5 u' ?; z; T% o
Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration.
; i* B+ Y7 ~( e/ U
) d; ]/ T" P! d5 P# G, LThe rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program.
/ c' z3 i: Z5 D: _- ~2 ^2 W0 _' N I3 R
Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. + b2 c8 j' g0 j b2 G$ K
9 y n- n# J' y/ Z2 K- L
Federal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. 2 g- [& l4 l/ H& e' l; D( W
* u4 W: e8 K0 [0 ~; T S# G0 G
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. & h0 ]- u# F K. G' y4 J
8 T) l2 k5 \6 m& B/ s3 X, m! wIt’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. 8 ]# W! a+ |$ b/ V9 F$ X2 b/ F- P
0 T5 ^8 T& ^( y3 J+ c
But Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers.
0 c1 e7 L8 M( D$ J2 k. i2 J. n! Y! c9 `3 O, h, [
“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said. - O* N4 P% J8 D0 ^- y6 g* b# z
9 W H! |! e' M1 K* v# V“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.”
- `4 J# \# f# x, ~7 _9 `7 o4 u% r5 D( @5 J: Z) R" w$ h! t6 m" Z
Stelmach said the province is giving $285 million in new money for affordable housing and is trying to tackle that problem. |
|