OTTAWA - Immigration Minister Jason Kenney raised the spectre Thursday of simmering social divisions over immigration in Europe and the U.S. to defend a plan to bring in immigrants who will bolster the economy.
Kenney, in a speech in Toronto, said he plans to adjust the points system for skilled workers to put greater emphasis on youth with “high quality credentials,” and on the ability of applicants to speak either English or French.
He also reiterated a recent declaration that Ottawa won’t expand the program that allows provincial governments to nominate potential immigrants until he deals with concerns about the “integrity” of the program.
He noted, for instance, that the Provincial Nominee Program isn’t always being used as intended to fill skilled labour shortages.
“If we can improve the economic outcomes of immigrants, debates over the degree of their social integration would virtually disappear. That’s because I strongly believe that economic integration is the best path to social integration,” he said.
Kenney noted tensions in Europe, where many anti-immigrant parties have gained ground, as well as simmering hostility in the U.S. toward immigrant communities.
“We don’t have to look very far to see what happens when that integrity is undermined,” he said.
“It’s happened across Europe and even to some extent in the United States, where public support for the entire immigration system has fallen after widespread illegal migration and consequent abuse of public resources have gone unchecked.”
No comments:
Post a Comment