Charlottetown, June 13, 2008 – The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, and the Honourable Allan Campbell, Minister of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Rural Development for Prince Edward Island, on behalf of P.E.I.’s Minister of Innovation and Advanced Learning, today announced the new Agreement for Canada‑Prince Edward Island Co‑operation on Immigration.

The new agreement will make it easier for the province to attract more skilled international workers, to process those applications more quickly and to strengthen its Francophone community.

“The Government of Canada believes in immigration and the signing of today’s new agreement means Prince Edward Island has an immigration agreement that is tailored to the province’s unique needs and priorities,” said Minister Finley. “The focus of the Prince Edward Island agreement is the removal of limits in the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), collaboration on overseas marketing initiatives, and the targeted use of the PNP to attract and retain Francophone immigrants. This will ensure that the province is able to select the number of immigrants it needs to meet labour market demands and build a stronger economy.”

“We are very pleased to renew this immigration agreement with the federal government,” said Mr. Campbell. “It gives the province the authority we need to attract new immigrants who will meet gaps in our labour market and help boost our declining population.”

The agreement, which sets out the roles and responsibilities in immigration matters, replaces a previous agreement signed in 2001. It includes several new provisions aimed at keeping pace with Prince Edward Island’s changing economic, social and demographic needs. Specifically, the new agreement means:

• Prince Edward Island will be able to address particular social, demographic, economic development and labour market needs.
• Prince Edward Island will be able to nominate more immigrants possessing the skills needed in the province, for quicker processing by the Government of Canada.
• Prince Edward Island and Canada will work together to share information and to develop and implement strategies to better integrate immigrants into the labour market. This includes improving the process for the recognition of foreign credentials.
• Canada and Prince Edward Island will enhance their cooperation in overseas immigration marketing initiatives, including bringing temporary foreign workers and students to the province.
• There will be increased encouragement for the recruitment and retention of Francophone immigrants through the Provincial Nominee Program.

The agreement formalizes and builds on the existing collaborative relationship between Canada and Prince Edward Island on immigration matters, including the delivery of settlement and integration services. It also recognizes the importance of involving community stakeholders, including service providers, municipalities and the private sector, in welcoming newcomers.

Attracting more immigrants to Prince Edward Island will help maintain population levels in the province’s communities and will provide skilled workers who can meet the labour market needs of P.E.I. businesses.

For an electronic copy of the agreement signed today, please visit www.cic.gc.ca or www.gov.pe.ca/immigration.

For further information (media only), please contact:

Tim Vail
Press Secretary
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-954-1064

Jon Stone
Director, Communications – Atlantic Region
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
902-426-1419

Government of Prince Edward Island
Kim Devine
Director, Communications
Innovation and Advanced Learning
902-620-3774

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Source: http://cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/releases/2008/2008-06-13b.asp

The organization that oversees immigration consultants is toothless and should be dismantled, replaced by a statutory body empowered to go after unscrupulous advisers who prey on vulnerable migrants, urges a report tabled in the House of Commons yesterday.

The report by the standing committee on citizenship and immigration, following three months of cross-country consultation hearings examining issues facing Canada’s immigration system, found the current regulatory model is full of glaring loopholes that allows anyone to call themselves an immigration consultant and to operate with little or no scrutiny.

The introduction of an “Immigration Consultants Society Act” to govern such professionals is a key recommendation by the all-party committee. It proposes a new regulatory body be set up to run like a provincial law society and have the power to pursue and punish non-members who pass themselves off as consultants. The committee, however, says the federal government must assist in re-establishing the new body and remain involved until it is off the ground.

The committee’s report – to be followed by two others on temporary foreign workers and Iraqi refugee resettlement – comes a year after a Star investigation found serious flaws with the 4-year-old Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC), the current organization set up in 2004 to protect would-be immigrants, sponsoring families and refugees who place their trust and money in the hands of consultants.

“The committee believes that problems at CSIC are attributable to more than just growing pains,” said the 30-page report. “Fundamentally, the Society has not been given the tools it needs to succeed as a regulator … (and) has no power to sanction immigration consultants who are not members of the Society.”

The report also lashed out at the mismanagement of the regulator’s board, which has drawn numerous complaints from its roughly 1,000 members for its lack of transparency, accountability and democracy.

Janet Dench, of the Canadian Council for Refugees, said the report reflects the advocacy community’s feelings toward consultants.

“We have seen immigrants and refugees being exploited and abused for so many years, the question is whether there is a will for the government to make things happen and better look after migrants’ interests,” she said. CSIC could not be reached for comment.

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This article was written by Nicholas Keung, Jim Rankin – Staff Reporters for TheStar.com (Link)