New Brunswick accepts immigrants despite COVID-19
The province is not going to lower its plan for immigrants.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, New Brunswick issued 2,020 nominations under its provincial immigration program in 2020. In 2019, the province issued 2,022 nominations.
The number of nominations has barely decreased, but at the end of November 2020, New Brunswick had only 2,740 new residents. The number was a record 6,000 in 2019.
This was the result of travel restrictions that Canada imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19. Delays in processing by Immigration, Citizenship and Refugee Canada (IRCC) also interfered.
New Brunswick Board of Multiculturalism (NBMC) President Moncef Lacuas said immigration figures show the province is willing to accommodate employers.
"We know that many sectors have been hit by the effects of the pandemic, especially tourism and small and medium-sized businesses. But other sectors continue to operate and labour needs are just as pressing," Lacuas said in a press release. — Our settlement authorities and employers have worked diligently to ensure newcomers to the province are adhering to quarantine plans and safety protocols. This helped avoid the spread of the virus. Local communities also rallied to support the new residents. They collected food and toys to help families who arrived during the quarantine."
New Brunswick continues to work towards its 2024 immigration goal of 7,500 new residents per year. The province is also looking to attract more French-speaking immigrants: It is the only province in Canada where English and French are the official languages. By 2024, provincial authorities hope to have one-third of new immigrants being French-speakers.
