Immigration increasing in 2019
The Government of Canada has released its annual immigration plan, targeting to welcome 330,800 immigrants to the country in 2019 in the following categories:
- 191,600 persons under the economic category
- 88,500 under the family category
- 29,950 refugees
- 16,500 protected persons
- 4,250 persons under the humanitarian and "other" category.
All categories will see an increase with the largest rise in the economic category. In total, the 2019 immigration plan represents an increase of 20,800 persons compared to 2018.
At AUMA’s March 2018 Municipal Leaders’ Caucus, a presentation on refugee awareness highlighted that there are approximately 25 million refugees worldwide. The 2019 immigration plan calls for an increase in the immigration of refugees, but the target is well below worldwide demand. The private sponsorship of refugees continues to be the federal government’s primary method of welcoming refugees. Community organizations interested in privately sponsoring a refugee family can obtain details on the Government of Canada’s website.
Attracting immigrants can be an effective approach to increasing the sustainability of your community. To learn more, check out AUMA’s Guide to Municipal Immigration Action Planning in Alberta or contact our wic [at] auma.ca (Welcoming and Inclusive Communities) initiative.
