Canada’s Immigration Minister, Marco Mendicino, stated during a news conference that plans to expedite applications and increase the number of refugees to Canada are in the offing. He reiterated that the country will increase the number of protected persons into the country. This number is expected to be from 23,500 to 45,000 and plans will include expediting the process of securing permanent residency for the refugees.
At the moment, there are over 40,000 protected persons and their families residing in Canada who are waiting to become permanent residents. This year alone, 17,900 became permanent residents.
“There’s another reason that Canada’s light shines brightly, and that is the contributions of refugees themselves in so many ways,” Mendicino said. “We’ve seen refugees give back to their new communities and their countries, even during the pandemic.”
The Canadian government also announced two other initiatives in addition to expediting applications and increasing the number of refugees to Canada: Bolstering the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot, which was launched in 2018, will not only allow Canada to welcome more refugees but “flips the stereotype” of refugees as “solely victims,” the Minister’s department said.
The pilot recognizes the talents and skills of refugees by welcoming them through economic immigration streams. The government has extended the project for two more years to admit up to 500 applicants. There were new measures to improve the pilot process, including waivers for fees and expediting permanent residency applications, among others.
“People from all corners of the globe have sought refuge in Canada, people who have started the next chapter of their lives here in Canada,” Mendicino said.
The Minister also announced more support for Canada’s private refugee sponsorship program by investing up to $3 million over two years to support organizations like Rainbow Refugee Society in Vancouver, and Ads-Up Canada Refugee Network in Toronto—including nine others.
Mendicino announced these three new initiatives ahead of World Refugee Day. Canada resettled more than 30,000 refugees in 2019 and more than 9,000 last year in the heat of the global pandemic.
By July, Canada will also become the second chair of the Central America and Mexico Comprehensive Regional Protection and Solutions Framework Support Platform. The platform will aid the government talk about the protection and empowerment of displaced women and girls.
