Federal immigration cuts are worrying some New York Times newcomers, advocates say

A man who helps newcomers settle in Moncton says he is shocked by the scale of the planned reduction in the number of new permanent residents in Canada.

The Trudeau government recently announced that the numbers will be reduced gradually, from 485,000 this year to 365,000 in 2027.

That’s a step in the opposite direction that the same government has been talking about for the past three years, said Ketan Raval, founder of Moncton Cares.

The cuts are devastating news for people who moved all their belongings to Canada, borrowed money and planned to bring family members over, Raval said.

They now realize they may have to leave after living here for seven years, he said.

“I feel bad about it.”

‘Difficult to establish roots’

Raval also worries that the lower limits will make integration and retention more difficult.

“If there is no certainty that you will become a Canadian citizen or that you will not become a permanent resident within a certain period of time, it would be difficult to establish roots,” he said.

“If you know there’s a chance you might have to leave, you’re probably not going to integrate with that mentality.”

Meanwhile, the CEO of another settlement organization for newcomers in Moncton responded more muted to the cuts.

Ron Gaudet of the Multicultural Agency of the Greater Moncton Area said he is not critical of the Trudeau government’s decision — he thinks there has been political pressure to do so — but he is also confident Canada will have the ability has to welcome many more immigrants.

“I think it’s important that we as a nation understand that we are the second largest geographic country in the world. We have a population of just under 40 million people. We have the ability to… grow our numbers and we are doing that. that through immigration and immigration,” he said.

With any growth there will be challenges, such as increased demand for health care, housing and schools, Gaudet said.

The way to tackle these challenges is through joint discussions with regions and provinces – ideally before major policy changes, he said.

“After many years of falling behind the rest of Canada, Atlantic Canada is somewhat in the growth phase. We have an opportunity here to build a nation and ensure that Atlantic Canada becomes an important part of our country. So let’s do that. discussion, and let’s focus on this.”

The multicultural organization had a good relationship with the recently defeated provincial government of Blaine Higgs, Gaudet said, and is very interested in working with the new government of Susan Holt.

Holt has pledged to focus immigration on the skills needed, speed up the recognition of foreign credentials and step up efforts to help newcomers integrate and stay.

Raval would also like to see faster certification of people who trained or studied outside Canada.

Many highly educated people in the immigrant community cannot work in their fields, he said.

Hailing from India, the most populous country in the world, Raval fully agrees that there is room for more immigration to Canada.

One of the key ways to address the challenges of growth is through the immigration of people who have the specific skills needed, such as teachers, health workers, home builders, engineers, software engineers and scientists.

Raval thinks the impact of the permanent cuts on population will be greatest in smaller provinces like New Brunswick.

“It’s going to be very difficult to bring more newcomers or more highly skilled immigrants here,” he said.

“And not only that, there are many temporary work permit holders and there are many international students. We may no longer be able to continue to obtain permanent residency. … Maybe we should go back or we should keep renewing these visas.”