The federal Minister of Immigration, Marc Miller, announced last week that Canada would reduce the planned number of new permanent residents. Of the 485,000 scheduled to be welcomed into the country this year, the number will drop to 395,000 in 2025, to 380,000 in 2026, and to 365,000 in 2027. Minister Miller explained that the new immigration plan will stabilize population growth and ease pressure on housing access.
However, Constanza Safatle said that Canada’s problems should not be attributed to immigrants. “Many people link all this with immigrants, claiming that they are the ones creating all these problems that Canada is currently facing, but that is not true,” she stated.
“Canada is my home”
Safatle highlighted that Canada already lacked the adequate infrastructure to accommodate newcomers with its preexisting populations. I understand how Canadians might feel. It’s disappointing. I feel that it is an initiative without a plan, without infrastructure.
I feel that Canada is my home. I also feel angry because where is the plan? Where is the implementation?, she added. The situation of immigration in Newfoundland and Labrador is different, as the province’s aging population depends on immigration for its long-term economic viability.
The provincial Minister of Immigration, Sarah Stoodley, said that Newfoundland and Labrador, with its 550,000 inhabitants, cannot afford federal cuts to immigration. Safatle agrees. He said it would be unfair to reduce immigration. The economic flow has focused on welcoming doctors, nurses, childcare workers, and people who work in construction. We have a completely different situation compared to the rest of the country, at was pointed out.
Support for employers is needed
The maritime province of Newfoundland and Labrador has an annual quota of just over 3,000 economic immigration spots. This is reflected in the population, which has experienced growth over the last 14 consecutive quarters.
Safatle said it took her six years to obtain permanent residency. Her husband was studying, and she was moving from one job to another while starting her company, Newbornlander. It takes a year of full-time work to receive permanent residency.
Safatle said that the system is complex and many employers don’t know how to navigate it, so they need better support when addressing immigration and status issues.
Open the doors
The system provides them with a huge key, let’s say, to open the doors and provide permanent residency, but they don’t know how to use it, said Safatle. If the Canadian employer doesn’t know how to use it in 15 or 20 minutes, something is wrong.
Four of Safatle’s employees received their permanent residency last year. She explained that the process was free for the company, and that she knew how to carry out the process because she had previously executed it herself. Newbornlander is a small company, so there are no human resources or a lawyer within the company to handle the matter, she said.
“Promote our province”
Safatle said she would like to see Newfoundland and Labrador exempt from federal cuts to immigration and employers given access to lawyers or immigration officials to help guide them through the process.
She would also like to see the province market itself to youth and families because population growth is not just about offering jobs to immigrants and putting them to work. We can highlight the benefits of living here, such as safety, quality of life, and low traffic. That’s why I believe we can also promote our province better.
