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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html
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CALGARY — An agreement between Alberta and the federal government will allow 25,000 foreign workers per year to come to the province to aid in its worker shortage.
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Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration.
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The rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program. $ x% x/ R6 t, s# X4 h
! U3 Y$ J+ B. a; l4 J9 w- Y: x3 IRight now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. . ^6 `3 S p0 i2 K$ V+ Q
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Federal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. 3 [' }/ a' C% N& q; S" ~* `6 m% Q
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The pact gives Alberta the power to nominate more immigrants possessing skills needed in the province and also provides more resources to help them settle here.
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It’s a step in the right direction in breaking down time-consuming, frustrating barriers facing immigrants seeking to ply their skills here, said Fariboz Birjandian, chairman of the Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies.
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- c& }1 H! E# z5 ]$ |% e7 e! \But Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. 9 d# O& f$ y: Y, l
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“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said. 2 G2 d- a+ q1 R4 e
: {/ a% w; \( M9 j3 u“And we don’t want Calgary becoming a city where all the rich people live on one side and all the poor on the other.” 0 X. G- V" W- p+ A6 z/ f
# X" k0 l4 d+ Q1 ~Stelmach said the province is giving $285 million in new money for affordable housing and is trying to tackle that problem. |
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