Syrian refugees on way to region
Five privately sponsored Syrian refugees will arrive in Prince George most likely before Christmas, Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond said Friday morning.
“But as to the final numbers, we have no idea,” said Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training. “It’s not likely we will get enormous numbers.”
After Christmas, Prince George will receive government-sponsored refugees, as well.
The province has done an analysis across the province to look at cities like Prince George, Kamloops, Kelowna and others to assess the capacity to welcome government-assisted refugees, said Bond.
Ultimately the federal government in partnership with the Immigrant Services Society of B.C. will look at capacity and determine where refugees will finally settle, said Bond.
“Prince George is certainly on that list because we do believe there is capacity here,” said Bond.
“We have a mosque, we have an Arabic-speaking community, we have health services, we have the immigrant and multicultural services, we have a community table in place so it is very possible that we will receive refugees.”
This news came on the heels of the announcement that the provincial government will provide the Immigrant and Multicultural Services Society of Prince George (IMSS) with $109,355 for English language training.
“IMSS is offering Workplace Essential Skills Language training under this funding aimed at newcomers with professional-level skills who are unemployed or underemployed,” said Baljit Sethi, IMSS executive director. “This opportunity will address language building and cultural understand- ing that is essential in building a successful career or work life in our community. All permanent residents, including recent immigrants and refugees are eligible to apply if they meet the coursespecific eligibility criteria.”
So many immigrants come to Canada and find themselves underemployed, said Bond.
“They come to our country as professionals, as people who have a skill set, have incredible talent. They come to Canada and it takes a while to have their credentials recognized, to find a way to continue those careers that they held in other countries and candidly we need them to be fully employed in our province if we look at the labour demands of the future,” said Bond. “One of the critical elements of being able to live and work in a community and a country is language.”
Bond said she knows the funding will be very well used by IMSS.
“We know it will help support the Syrian refugees that will soon arrive in our province and it will also include immigrants and new Canadians,” said Bond. “So it’s not solely focused on the refugees but the timing, we think, is very important.”
Total funding province wide is $2.6 million to help about 1,200 B.C. newcomers get skills to be job ready. The Project Based Language Training fund is provided by the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training through a partnership with Citizenship and Immigration Canada.