Minister Mendicino attends roundtable on economic recovery in Atlantic Canada

HALIFAX, NS, Nov. 24, 2020 /CNW/ - The Honourable Marco E.L. Mendicino joined the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council today to discuss the role of immigration in supporting economic recovery in Atlantic Canada.

During a virtual roundtable, leaders in the region's private and academic sectors talked about the challenges facing the region due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to fill key labour market vacancies and increase newcomer retention in Atlantic Canada.

Minister Mendicino had the opportunity to discuss in depth the 2021‒2023 Immigration Levels Plan, which aims to continue welcoming immigrants at a rate of about 1% of the population of Canada, including 401,000 permanent residents in 2021, 411,000 in 2022 and 421,000 in 2023.

In addition, he highlighted that pilots like the Atlantic Immigration Pilot are helping to get Canadian businesses the highly skilled workers they need to grow, and reiterated the Government's commitment to make it a permanent program when the pilot concludes at the end of 2021.

The roundtable discussion also included reflection on the importance of attracting international students to the Atlantic provinces. International students bring tremendous economic, cultural and social benefits, and contribute roughly $22 billion to the Canadian economy.

The Minister recognized the regional advantages of Atlantic Canada, including the thriving technology, ocean economy and health care sectors, and thanked stakeholders and businesses for their collaboration thus far in navigating through these difficult times and for their work in the future to help the region in its recovery.

Quote  

"Atlantic Canadians have proven themselves leaders in attracting and retaining highly skilled workers from away, that are helping their businesses to grow so they can create more jobs right here at home. One in three business owners with employees are newcomers, and innovative programs like our Atlantic Immigration Pilot are helping to ensure the economic benefits of immigration are spread right across the country. We're going to continue to ensure Atlantic Provinces have the skills they need to recover and keep growing."
—The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P., Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

Quick facts

• The 2021‒2023 Immigration Levels Plan is a projection of how many permanent residents will be admitted to Canada, setting targets and ranges for overall admissions, as well as for each immigration category.
• The levels plan takes into account extensive engagement with provincial and territorial representatives, as well as public opinion research and stakeholder consultations.
• Canadians across the country can see how newcomers are benefiting local communities through IRCC's Immigration Matters campaign.
• The Atlantic Immigration Pilot is an innovative partnership aimed at ensuring the long-term retention and integration of newcomers in Atlantic Canada to help drive economic growth.
• Since its launch in 2017, participating employers in the Atlantic Immigration Pilot have made over 7,500 job offers in key sectors, including manufacturing and health care. This has resulted in over 6,900 approved permanent residents destined for or already in the Atlantic region.

Related products 

2021‒2023 Immigration Levels Plan and Supplementary Information 
Atlantic Immigration Pilot 
Atlantic Growth Strategy

Associated link

• Atlantic Provinces Economic Council

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SOURCE Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada