Thread: Canada gauges public opinion on immigration

Citizenship and Immigration Canada have launched a series of cross-country consultations on immigration issues.

As part of this process, an online consultation is currently underway.- Stakeholders and the public are invited to submit feedback through the online questionnaire until September 19, 2011. Online questionnaire @ http://cic.sondages-surveys.ca/s/immigration2/langeng/

The questionnaire is designed to gather input on the right level of immigration to Canada – how many – and the right mix between the three immigrant classes to Canada – economic, family and protected persons.

Nearly 2000 people have already signed up to answer the survey, which is part of an ongoing consultation into immigration carried out by the Department of Citizenship and Immigration (CIC).

“The online consultation provides an important opportunity to gather input from stakeholders and the public on key questions facing CIC," said Jason Kenney, minister for citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism. "This is also a chance to highlight some of the considerations and difficult choices involved in managing a global immigration system."

Canada has one of the highest per capita rates of immigration in the world, accepting around 200,000 to 280,000 new migrants every year.

It is predicted that by 2031, between 25 and 28 per cent of the population will be foreign-born.

The CIC said that consultations held with employers, industry organisations and immigrant groups through Canada in the past few months had already raised some important concerns about current policies, including the challenges of integration and the need to lessen waiting times for migrants applying for family reunification visas.

I just don't get it ................ it seems simple solution to me ............ if a country needs skilled migrants, then they should allow them in, if unemployment is low then great let them in, like they do in Australia, if unemployment is high, then don't let them in, it makes sense to me, having open borders allowing hundreds of thousands of migrants into the country can only spell disaster like we are seeing here in the uk, with chronic levels of youth unemployment at one million.