Canada is responding as quickly as possible to the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan by helping bring Afghan citizens and their families safely to their new home. We remain firm in our commitment to resettle 40,000 Afghan nationals, and our partnerships with provinces, territories and settlement service providers across the country are key to achieving this goal.
Newcomers to Canada play a crucial role in the future of our country and contribute in important ways to our society and economic recovery from the pandemic. To ensure newcomers settling in small towns and rural communities have access to essential services during their first year in Canada, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced an investment of more than $35 million to expand resettlement capacity and settlement services across Canada.
For 2 decades, Canadians have worked side by side with Afghan nationals to improve security, democracy and human rights in Afghanistan. Now Canada is welcoming people who face risks as a result of this vitally important work.
“Today marks the 75th anniversary of the Canadian Citizenship Act, a major moment in Canada’s history and a milestone on our journey to full independence and nationhood. Before the Act, the people of this country were British subjects – we have forever since been Canadian citizens.”
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser announces the Permanent Atlantic Immigration Program to attract workers and drive economic growth
With the significant exception of Indigenous people, all Canadians originally come from somewhere else. The story of immigration fills many chapters in the history of Canada—including the most recent one. To support Canada’s post-pandemic recovery and chart a more prosperous future, the Government of Canada set a target of welcoming 401,000 new permanent residents in 2021, as part of the 2021–2023 Immigration Levels Plan.
Virtual event on the Protection and Empowerment of Displaced Women and Girls from Central America and Mexico
The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Harjit Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister Responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada, today issued the following statement:
Immigration is vital to the future of communities across the country, and nowhere more so than Atlantic Canada. Over the past few years, the Atlantic Immigration Pilot has brought and retained thousands of newcomers to the region. These new Canadians have helped communities thrive, businesses prosper and the region’s population grow.
Canadians everywhere have been watching with worry as the people of British Columbia keep facing extreme climatic events like catastrophic floods and landslides. While the loss of human lives is the most concerning, we’ve also come to realize that people directly affected may need to replace vital lost or destroyed documents, including travel, citizenship and immigration documents.