New Immigration Group Created To Welcome Immigrants And Refugees To Canada

21 Jan 2012

A new immigration group was launched in Canada last week comprising of local service providers, health care representatives, business people and politicians. The new Immigration Partnership Council will help immigrants and refugees integrate into Canadian life.

The group brainstormed ideas on how to best assist new immigrants and refugees to become part of the community for two years. Last Friday, the group officially launched their immigration council in Kitchener, Ontario.

This immigration organization aims to help immigrants and refugees settle, work and integrate into the community; it is one of 45 immigration councils across the province. The region's council has a budget of $680,000 for the next two years funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the Region of Waterloo and the United Way of Kitchener Waterloo and Area.

Immigration Partnership Council manager, Arran Rowles noted that the local immigration partnership is important because it connects new foreign immigrants with the Waterloo Region Immigrant Employment Network through free seminars and networking events and by offering internship and mentoring programs.

Currently, 22 percent of the region's population is immigrants or refugees; that number is expected to increase to 30 percent by 2031, according to the Kitchener Waterloo Multicultural Centre.

On 6 February a discussion will be held on how to best welcome immigrants and refugees to Canada followed by a forum on March 26 about how immigrants can take part in civic leadership.