Embracing Immigration: Canada’s Approach to Balancing Security and FacilitationMetropolisTampere, Finland, September 2013

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• 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

Canada is a ‘land of immigrants’

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• 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 Not admitting them (admissibility) o Providing settlement support for newcomerso Management of citizenship o Multiculturalism

Canada is a leader in managed migration

Immigration has long been part of Canada’s history and it has

helped make Canada a culturally rich, prosperous and

progressive nation.

• Canada has one of the world’s largest and most established immigration, refugee, citizenship and multiculturalism programs

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

World WarsI and II

Recession (last time

admissions followed economic

cycle)

Emerging Canadian consensus that high

levels needed to meet long-term needs

Spike in refugees due to Suez crisis,

Hungarian revolution

Immigration needed to support

Canada’s rapid economic expansion

Canada – Permanent Residents, 1860 to 2012

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A closer look at immigration in 2012

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

Protected Persons Class(23,094 admissions)

• Refugee resettlement • Providing asylum

Family Class(65,008 admissions)

• Reuniting families through sponsorship

• Spouses, Partners & dependent children

• Parents and Grandparents

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

Total in 2012: 257,887

62.4%

25.2%

9.0%

3.5%

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• Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA; 2002) sets out the 18 separate objectives for immigration and refugee protection. Among them: o Support the development of a strong and prosperous Canadian economy, and see that the

benefits of immigration are shared across the countryo Reunite families through sponsorship programso Support global humanitarian efforts – refugee resettlement and providing asylumo Contribute to building strong communities and upholding the bilingual nature of Canadao … 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 High expectations – immigration is seen as a way to address labour market/demographic pressures

o “Under the lens” public environment – while support remains strong overall, highly publicized events can affect public opinion disproportionately

o Growing policy role – CIC is no longer a back-bench portfolio

Canada’s immigration program : many objectives

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• 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

Immigration is key to supporting jobs and economic growth

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• 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

Enabling the system to support jobs and growth…

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• 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.

… while protecting safety and security

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• 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

Supporting continued confidence in the immigration system

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• 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

Supporting continued confidence in the immigration system

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• 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

Challenges

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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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• 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

Moving forward

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Thank You

Catrina TapleyAssociate Assistant Deputy MinisterCitizenship and Immigration CanadaCatrina.Tapley@cic.gc.ca