Newcomers help renew our workforce so that Canada remains competitive, says Immigration Minister Jason Kenney

OTTAWA, Canada, Friday November 2, 2012 — In a move that could benefit some Caribbean nationals, Canada’s Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has invited more foreign students and temporary foreign workers to apply to stay in the country in 2013.

Under new immigration rules, up to 10,000 foreign students and temporary foreign workers will be allowed to apply for permanent residency, an increase from 6,000 last year.
 
Total immigration levels will nevertheless remain unchanged, staying frozen at 240,000 to 265,000 for the seventh straight year.

Kenney said that Canada is especially courting younger immigrants who come to study and could be hired locally after graduating.

“Newcomers bring their skills and talents, contribute to our economy and help renew our workforce so that Canada remains competitive on the world stage,” the immigration minister said at a press conference on Wednesday.

They are “the immigrants of the future,” he added. “They are young. They have Canadian degrees or diplomas. They have strong Canadian language skills. They are set for success.”

Critics nevertheless say that targeting foreign students deprives poorer countries of talent needed to grow their own developing economies.

Some nations fund young people’s studies abroad, and when they don’t return it creates a brain drain scenario that undermines their own development.

Meanwhile, Kenney acknowledged high overall unemployment among immigrants to Canada at 14 percent, compared to the national rate of 7.4 percent, and increasingly negative attitudes toward record high immigration levels.

Some critics view newcomers as competitors for scarce jobs while the economy still struggles to rebound from the 2008-2009 recession.

“I am concerned about it... I understand what Canadians are saying. That’s why we are not increasing (total) immigration levels,” the minister said.

Kenney also stressed that Canada would not accept “barbaric cultural practices” from migrants, citing honour killings, female genital mutilation and domestic abuse.