Thank you to all of our witnesses for appearing before us today and for your presentations. I have listened quite intently and I'm very pleased to see that we have good partners out there in the field working with us on this very important subject.
As you know, our country has sustained the highest levels of immigration in the history of the country over the last number of years. In fact, this year's levels plan, which was tabled in the House in the fall of 2014, is very ambitious. It's the highest levels plan we have ever had for the country. It ranges from 260,000 to 285,000 newcomers coming into Canada in 2015—that's about 0.8% of our population—65% of whom will come through our economic streams: federal skilled workers, federal skilled trades, Canadian experience class, live-in caregivers, to name but a few. There will be 25% who come through family reunification: parents, grandparents, spouses, children, and so forth. In keeping with Canada's record of being one of the most compassionate countries in the world, when it comes to our humanitarian stream, 10% will be primarily refugees.
We're very focused on giving as much assistance as we possibly can as a government to our newcomers to ensure that they are empowered moving forward in their new lives here in Canada, and to enhance as much as possible the potential for successful outcomes for them in our country.
Settlement funding, I should mention, has jumped from $200 million when the current government assumed power to $600 million across Canada, with an additional almost $55 million for refugee resettlement.
I should mention that I represent the riding of Richmond Hill, which is in York region. York region is your immediate neighbour, as you know, to the west of Durham region. I suspect it's the same for everybody across the country, but many of the issues you deal with on a daily basis are very similar. Of course, we are just across the road. Once you cross that Durham region line, you're into York region.
Let me start with you, if I may, Ms. Andrews, and then perhaps Ms. Vaughan-Barrett can weigh in on this.
What do you believe are some of the key factors for the successful immigration of immigrants? What are the immigrants actually getting out of these settlement programs?