Thank you.
Thank you very much for this opportunity.
Every year we have about 250,000 and soon over 300,000 people who will come to this country. We know there are a million people who want to come to Canada and we are bringing them into this country.
Looking at the experience of other countries, European countries and the United States, and the success that Canada has, obviously the key is that when bringing people to this country we make sure they settle well, integrate, and become part of our community. I think Canada has a lot to be proud of, with many years in partnership with communities, average Canadians, and governments at all levels. Obviously we have created this very hospitable country that we are very proud of.
Personally, I came as a refugee to Canada, so my feedback will be partly on a personal level as well. I've been involved with settlement and integration for the past twenty years.
We have submitted two documents: one is a brief on the finance, the other one a settlement allocation model. They have certain principles and I want to go through them very briefly.
With the finance and budget resources that become available in settlement integration, basically the principles we have identified are to provide for comprehensive settlement and integration services for all newcomers who come to this country and want to become part of this great country; to assist new immigrants to build their social capital and economic support network; and to promote public awareness and develop partnerships between all levels that are involved. I want to emphasize that we have to recognize that settlement and integration really happens very much at a community level: a school level, a neighbourhood level, and also at a workplace level. I think the decision you make and the attention you pay to the very important issue of settlement integration really pays off all the way through to the communities, and they feel it in the community.
Also, the settlement allocation model that we have proposed and are hoping to develop a framework on is that spending money is basically responsive because immigration is very fluid. Obviously people move to one city more than other cities. There are issues we have with the distribution of immigrants overall in the country, with 90% of the immigrants going to a very few cities. We want to change that. The framework that we have proposed on the settlement allocation model is hopefully to find solutions to some of the issues we have with settlement and integration of the newcomers to Canada and at the same time develop capacity within local communities, other cities, provinces, and on a national basis.
The issue is quite serious. I know that we live in a democratic country and the politics of the day changes, but I really am here to urge you to pay special attention to the settlement integration of people who are coming into this country.
As a newcomer myself, I don't think any country has to bring people into their country, just like you don't have to invite people to your home, but once you do that, the expectation is that you have a plan for your guest coming. That simple analogy is a way of looking at Canada's attitude towards the thousands of people who are coming into this country--250,000 from a hundred different countries.
We have done a great job. I've been involved with some of the work in Europe, and I know that we have a lot to celebrate and be proud of, but we're moving 250,000 people, even more, to a very knowledge-based society from a hundred different countries. I think the challenge is that we have to make sure they settle and become a part of this country. If we don't, then I think it's not going to be a positive experience for us, as a country, or for them, as an immigrant coming to this country.
Thank you.