N.L. doubles permanent residency spaces for immigrant workers, but advocates say challenges remain
CBC
The federal government has doubled Newfoundland and Labrador's allocation of employment-based immigration spaces after the province filled all of its spots months ahead of schedule last year.
On Wednesday, Immigration, Population Growth and Skills Minister Gerry Byrne said this year the province's immigration spaces under the Atlantic Immigration Program and provincial nominee program will grow from 1,500 to 3,050.
"The levels that I announced today was a substantive increase compared to our previous levels," he said while speaking with reporters.
In 2022, Newfoundland and Labrador saw its largest population increase since 1971, which Byrne attributed to migration from other provinces and countries.
Last fall, Byrne slammed the federal government over a lack of support, claiming his federal counterpart, Sean Fraser, had turned down a previous request for a higher allocation of immigrant spaces.
"We were basically unable to advance our agenda," Byrne said Wednesday.
Byrne said he has since met with Fraser, who agreed to increase the province's immigration spaces in 2023.
"Not only has the minister responded positively, but there will be additional increases in the years to come," Byrne said.
Byrne said the provincial government had a backlog of applications from 2022, which it submitted at the beginning of the year.
"January of 2023 was, I think, historically the largest month that Newfoundland and Labrador has ever presented to Ottawa a book of applications," he said.
Byrne said the province accepted just over 625 refugees in 2021.
During question period, Progressive Conservative immigration critic Joedy Wall accused Byrne of "platitudes."
"The real story being written here is one of barriers and struggles created by a disconnected government," he said.
"Sure, you can get them here, but what then?"
The Rachel Notley government's consumer carbon tax wound up becoming a weapon the UCP wielded to drum the Alberta NDP out of office. But that levy-and-repayment program, and the wide-ranging "climate leadership plan" around it, also stood as the NDP's boldest, provincial-reputation-altering move in their single-term tenure.