Canada will welcome 11,000 immigrants from South America
According to the plan, this will help with illegal migration in the region.
Canada's Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Mark Miller, announced the country's readiness and intention to accept 11,000 new migrants from the Americas region in the near future. To be more precise, the specific countries named are Colombia, Haiti and Venezuela.
The program announced by Miller is part of a plan announced back in March to welcome 15,000 newcomers from the region. In the past months, 4,000 people have arrived. And in order to optimize the process, the ministry is concerned about its clearer regulation.
Program terms and conditions
So, who's welcome? Colombian, Haitian and Venezuelan nationals living in Central/South America or the Caribbean. All candidates must have family ties in Canada.
To qualify for the program, the primary applicant must be a child (not necessarily a minor), grandchild, spouse, partner, parent, grandparent, brother or sister of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
For successful integration, the host country is willing to go out of its way to help immigrants. All successful applicants will be provided with assistance before arrival. Free services offered include an employment skills assessment and referral to an organization that helps you find housing in the community of your choice.
Why would Canada want to do that?
First, Canada is still one of the most open to immigration first-world countries. The high rate of newcomer admissions is the country's calling card and the backbone of its economy.
Second, the Liberal government has consistently upheld humanist values. This is mentioned by Immigration Minister Miller himself:
"We are actively collaborating with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to understand the regional context and humanitarian needs linked to migration in the Americas. We also support the work of the safe mobility offices in the region."
Miller emphasizes that migration in the territories of the two Americas involves a lot of procedural violations and risks to life. A streamlined procedure for granting permanent residence permits would partially solve both of these problems: giving more people legal status and controlling their safety in the process of moving.
