In its Annual Report on Immigration 2018 presented at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on December 3, 2018, Canada’s minister of immigration, Ahmed Hussen, revealed plans to admit up to 1,080,000 new permanent residents between 2019 and 2021.
This figure equals 360,000 people per year. Compared to 2017, it is equivalent to 84,000 people more than the 286,000 welcomed as permanent residents during 2017, year in which more than half of the admitted immigrants enrolled in economic programs, and about 44,000 refugees were relocated, protected and admitted under humanitarian and/or political considerations.
By the year 2021, it is estimated that 48% of this figure will adhere to this type of program and that it will cover the skill gaps and the number of professionals required in the labor market.
Immigration is a key issue for the Canadian economy taking into consdieration that the average immigrant in Canada is under 30 years old, which helps to overcome the challenges of an aging population, since the proportion for each currently active worker is expected to be a pensioner by 2036 , unlike in 2012, when there was 1 retired person for every 4.2 active workers.
According to the same report, more than 6 million new immigrants have arrived in the Canadian nation since 1990. That is to say, currently, one out of every five people living in Canada was born out of the country.
“The increase in immigration levels, particularly in the working class, will help us maintain our workforce, support economic growth and stimulate innovation,” the report said.
Canada is located in the twelfth position of the Global Competitiveness Report 2018 of the World Economic Forum, with a perfect score of 100 in macroeconomic stability, and they occupy the first place among the countries with the most diverse labor forces.
“With the aging of the population and low fertility rates, immigration plays an important role in ensuring that Canada’s population and workforce continue to grow,” said Minister Hussen, who originally arrived in the country as a Somali refugee.
Canada is considered a world leader in terms of immigration policies, the number of refugees to be admitted in its 2019-2021 Immigration Plan ranges between 43,000 in 2019 and 64,500 in 2021.
SMT Newsroom with information from http://elexpres.com
