Immigration funding Increase

Canada's acute skills shortage has persuaded the federal government to increase its funding for immigrant settelement outside Quebec by $307 million over the next two years. Speaking in Vancouver today, federal Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Monte Solberg announced the new funds, 75 percent of which are slated for Ontario under a pre-existing agreement. British Columbia's portion, which will be administered by the provincial government, will be $38.5 million over the next two years. "We have labour market needs that have to be met," Solberg said, following the announcement in the meeting hall of S.U.C.C.E.S.S., the Lower Mainland's largest immigrant aid society. "Any policy changes that we want to make are going to be ones [that] make sure we attract more immigrants, year after year after year, to help us with our labour market needs." The new funds will be spread over this fical year and next, with B.C.'s settlement funding increasing to $63.3 million in 2006/07, and to $75.4 million in 2007/08. That represents an increase of almost 90 percent over last year's funding, which was $40.4 million.