This post is an excerpt of an article originally posted by Kathleen Harris (CBC News) on November 1, 2018. To read the full article, click here.
“…We cannot take what we have for granted. The anti-immigrant, anti-refugee rhetoric that is all around us — we are not immune to that,” [Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen] said during a speech and question-and-answer session at the Canadian Club in Toronto.
“This is the challenge before me and all of us — to double down on immigration, but also to really, really communicate, and listen carefully and communicate the real benefits of immigration locally. Because if we don’t, it’s going to be difficult for certain people who have anxieties about the economy and about their future to see immigration as a positive thing.”
The new communications campaign comes as the Liberals continue to be hammered by the Opposition Conservatives over border security and the government’s handling of asylum seekers crossing into Canada outside of regular border points. The Conservatives have declared it a “crisis,” while the government insists it’s a challenge that is being capably managed.
As part of the federal initiative, Hussen launched the “Immigration Matters” website, which provides information on how the system works and how immigration offsets the economic effects of an aging population by meeting the economy’s labour needs.
The initiative comes a day after Hussen announced increased immigration levels, setting a new target of 350,000 for 2021. That’s up 40,000 from this year’s target of 310,000…
To read the rest of the article and watch 2 videos from Minister Hussen, click here.