By Victoria Shelkovnikova, Citizenship and Immigration Convenor

Canada has welcomed 19 million people since Confederation and is home to over 200 ethnic communities. Newcomers enrich our country and contribute to our economy by filling job vacancies, creating jobs, and supporting local businesses.

In 2022, Canada reached its target and welcomed 437,539 new permanent residents, surpassing last year’s record. Permanent immigration to Canada has significant long-term benefits, as permanent residents and their families who immigrate to Canada contribute to economic growth and labour market needs. There are also social and cultural benefits to permanent immigration, as it continues to be a key driver for a diverse and multicultural society in Canada and enhance the vitality of Francophone minority communities outside of Quebec.

For the fourth year in a row, Canada was the top resettlement country in the world, welcoming over 46,500 refugees from over 80 countries in 2022, which included refugees from Africa, the Middle East and the Americas, as well as ongoing responses to crises in Afghanistan, Ukraine, and elsewhere. The Government of Canada was committed to welcoming at least 40,000 vulnerable Afghans by the end of 2023.

In 2022, a total of 4,789,693 visas and electronic travel authorizations were issued to visitors, international students, and temporary workers. 437,539 permanent residents were admitted to Canada in 2022, an increase of 7.8% from 2021. Temporary and permanent immigration, settlement and citizenship and passport programming results were achieved in 2022–23 with the support of $3,451,273,280 in funding and 9,491 full-time equivalents.

Canada’s immigration system provides an opportunity to respond to global humanitarian crises and help people when they need it most. This includes the ongoing crises in Afghanistan and Ukraine, responding to the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey, and addressing the Iranian regime’s systemic violations of human rights.

Ensuring the vitality of Francophone communities outside Quebec continues to be a key priority. In 2022, IRCC reached the target of 4.4% French-speaking immigrants outside Quebec, one year before its 2023 commitment. The Department remains committed to maintaining or exceeding this target in 2023.

 As of April 12, 2023, Canada had welcomed 30,060 refugees and vulnerable Afghans to Canada since August 2021. This includes 10,806 people from the Special Immigration Measures Program for Afghans who assisted the Government of Canada; 2,009 Afghan family members of former interpreters; and 17,245 Afghans arriving through the humanitarian program.

According to the UNHCR, as of June 26, 2023, more than 6.3 million Ukrainians have fled Ukraine since February 2022. As of April 1, 2023, close to 147,000 Ukrainians and their family members have arrived in Canada under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for emergency travel (CUAET).

The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) combines refugee resettlement and economic immigration. The EMPP helps skilled refugees and other displaced individuals, and their families, immigrate to Canada through three regional economic programs or through two new immigration streams under the federal EMPP pathway, and gives employers access to a new pool of qualified candidates to fill a wide range of in-demand jobs.