30 April 2005

Canada welcomes close to 230,000 new permanent residents in 2002

The Honourable Denis Coderre, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, today announced that 229,058 immigrants came to Canada in 2002. This number reflects the government's ongoing commitment to encourage immigration according to a well-managed and balanced plan.

"Each newcomer brings a unique combination of skills and attributes to help this country reach its true potential both economically and culturally," said Minister Coderre. "We can all feel proud that so many people chose to start new lives here in Canada in 2002. We can also look forward to the contributions that each person will make to our nation in the years to come."

The total number of new permanent residents for 2002 falls within the planned range of 210,000 to 235,000 as announced to Parliament on February 8, 2001. Economic immigrants represented approximately 60 percent of all new arrivals to Canada in 2002, while immigrants such as family members or refugees made up the remaining 40 percent.

The government will manage the 2003 immigration and refugee plan within the projected range of 220,000 to 245,000. Working with available resources, it is expected that Canada will admit approximately 225,000 permanent residents this year.

"We have a carefully managed immigration plan for bringing newcomers to Canada in 2003 and beyond," said Minister Coderre. "Our annual plan is based on our available resources and takes into account numerous competing priorities, as well as the needs of provinces and territories, in order to achieve a balanced and sustainable immigration program."

The government remains firmly committed to increasing immigration levels over time within available resources. To achieve this objective, it will continue to work closely with provincial and territorial partners and non-governmental organizations.

To ensure that all parts of Canada share the benefits of immigration, the government also intends to build on various initiatives to encourage settlement outside the traditional urban centres of Vancouver, Toronto and Montréal. Such efforts will also involve working closely with provincial and territorial partners. Together, we will work to ensure that barriers to employment are reduced and that new immigrants have access to adequate settlement and integration programs to ease their transition into their new communities.