Transcript Presentation 11.9.2013 - International Metropolis Conference

Embracing Immigration: Canada’s
Approach to Balancing Security
and Facilitation
Metropolis
Tampere, Finland, September 2013
Canada is a ‘land of immigrants’
• Immigrants have made Canada rich, prosperous and
progressive
• They are a valued part of our multicultural society
and a major and essential driver of our economy
• Today, 20% of Canadians were born outside Canada
– 45% of Toronto is foreign-born
• In Canada, public support for immigration is strong
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Canada is a leader in managed migration
• Canada has one of the world’s largest and most established
immigration, refugee, citizenship and multiculturalism programs
• Two migration streams:
1. Permanent residence: foreign nationals who
may settle in Canada permanently
 Intake is planned; meets objectives
 May go on to become citizens
2. Temporary residence: foreign nationals who
visit, study or work in Canada for a limited time
 Intake responds to demand
• In addition to admitting foreign nationals,
Canada’s immigration system involves:
o
o
o
o
Not admitting them (admissibility)
Providing settlement support for newcomers
Management of citizenship
Multiculturalism
Immigration has long been part
of Canada’s history and it has
helped make Canada a
culturally rich, prosperous and
progressive nation.
Immigration is a shared
jurisdiction between the
federal and provincial and
territorial governments
(Constitution Act, 1867).
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Historical admissions of immigrants to Canada
Canada – Permanent Residents, 1860 to 2012
Immigration
needed to support
Canada’s rapid
economic
expansion
Spike in
refugees due
to Suez crisis,
Hungarian
revolution
World Wars
I and II
Recession
(last time
admissions
followed
economic
cycle)
Emerging
Canadian
consensus
that high
levels needed
to meet longterm needs
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A closer look at immigration in 2012
Total in 2012: 257,887
Family Class
25.2%
(65,008 admissions)
• Reuniting families through sponsorship
• Spouses, Partners & dependent children
• Parents and Grandparents
9.0%
62.4%
3.5%
Protected Persons Class
(23,094 admissions)
• Refugee resettlement
• Providing asylum
The Economic Class
(160,819 admissions)
• National, structural labour market needs (e.g., labour
force growth and human capital)
• Regional and niche labour market gaps (e.g.,
programs managed by provinces)
• Business expertise and investment
Humanitarian (and other)
(8,966 admissions)
• Those not eligible in other categories, but
admitted on humanitarian and
compassionate grounds or for reasons of
public policy
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Canada’s immigration program : many objectives
• Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA; 2002) sets out the 18
separate objectives for immigration and refugee protection. Among them:
o
o
o
o
o
Support the development of a strong and prosperous Canadian economy, and see that the
benefits of immigration are shared across the country
Reunite families through sponsorship programs
Support global humanitarian efforts – refugee resettlement and providing asylum
Contribute to building strong communities and upholding the bilingual nature of Canada
… and all while protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians
• But beyond IRPA, in the last five years immigration has moved to the front of
economic, social and security agendas.
o
o
o
High expectations – immigration is seen as a way to address labour market/demographic
pressures
“Under the lens” public environment – while support remains strong overall, highly
publicized events can affect public opinion disproportionately
Growing policy role – CIC is no longer a back-bench portfolio
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Immigration is key to supporting jobs and economic growth
• The role of Canada’s immigration efforts is to meet economic
and labour force needs is becoming increasingly prominent
• Canadian jobs and prosperity depend on trade, investment
and business exchanges with other countries -- international
trade is equivalent to more than 60% of our GDP
• In addition, tourism activities account for approximately 2%
of our GDP
• Facilitating permanent migration, as well as tourists,
students, and business visitors, is therefore of paramount
importance to Canada
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Enabling the system to support jobs and growth…
• Over the past 7 years, Canada has initiated a number of
ambitious reforms to its immigration and citizenship
programs, including:
– Building a fast and flexible immigration system that can better meet
labour force needs and sustain Canada’s economic growth, e.g.:
• Reducing the Federal Skilled Worker backlog
• Introducing the Expression of Interest (EOI) model
– Selecting the right people with the skills and abilities to succeed in
Canada, e.g.:
• Launching the Federal Skilled Trades Program
– Facilitating low-risk travel, e.g.:
• Introducing the Parent and Grand-Parent Super-Visa – a 10-year multiple entry
visitor visa
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… while protecting safety and security
•
Safety and security considerations are key considerations in Canada’s
immigration program
– A fine balance between safeguarding safety and security, and facilitating entry
and immigration
•
•
Immigration must not become a conduit for safety and security risks
Canada wants to have a high fence but with wide gates
– Immigration and Refugee Protection Act maximizes the social, cultural and
economic benefits of immigration, while protecting the safety and security of
Canadians.
– The flow of people and goods between borders is important to Canada for trade,
economic relations, and other linkages (families and communities)
•
Canada has strengthened program integrity and enhanced fraud prevention
to ultimately reinforce the immigration program so that it can meet its
objectives and contribute to Canada.
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Supporting continued confidence in the immigration system
• Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act
– Received Royal Assent in June 2013
– Legislative changes will:
• Enhance safety and security of Canadians
• Strengthen integrity of the immigration program
• Easy entry to support Canadian interests
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Supporting continued confidence in the immigration system
• Beyond the Border Action Plan
– To ensure the vital flow of people and goods
between Canada and the U.S., promoting job
creation and economic competitiveness, while
strengthening the security of both countries.
•
•
•
•
•
Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)
Immigration information sharing
Entry-Exit Information System
Facilitation of business travel
Biometric screening of temporary resident applicants
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Challenges
• Risk can only be managed, not eliminated
• Implementing reforms in a period of fiscal restraint
• Public support for immigration is high, but not
unshakeable
• Recent terrorist activities have increased focus on
security
– However, at the same time, greater public concerns over
government collection of personal information
• Processing volumes continue to increase, with
significant pressure to process quickly and efficiently
while upholding safety and security
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Security and immigration: always a balancing act
• Safety and security considerations are central to
cooperation with other countries
– Five Country Conference; US relations
• However, we must always balance strengthened
security measures with their effects on other key
roles of immigration
– E.g.: trade, tourism, and foreign relationships with other
countries.
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Moving forward
• Canada will need to continue extending its ‘borders’ outward
– Start security measures on the flow of people and goods before they
reach Canada
– This should result in significant savings downstream (e.g., detention,
removal), thus allowing resource reallocation toward higher risk
vulnerabilities
• Efficiency gains to be had as Canada’s passport program is
transferred to CIC
• Cooperation and collaboration with other countries will
continue to be essential
– To improve the exchange of immigration-related information and
best practices with like-minded countries
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Thank You
Catrina Tapley
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
[email protected]
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