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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html+ r. x! P$ S( K1 y& \! D
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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. 4 n( K7 m2 z1 |. [1 |
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Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. % d3 W3 S, } [# y
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Federal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada.
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& Y! Q9 S+ y I, iThe 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. 6 r9 U9 {- {% y, q& F
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But Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. ! u. f7 H+ R9 J. T7 J2 b
; I! K4 F7 f: f, n; j4 m“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said. 2 b* P2 l! a: Y( a- ]) V9 B/ x: H/ I0 P
% W% N1 S/ ~/ o$ v“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.” 9 B7 }# {/ w7 f3 ?" R
$ F& S6 Z5 x7 f: B, m; ~% K/ L; W0 ~# uStelmach said the province is giving $285 million in new money for affordable housing and is trying to tackle that problem. |
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