Canada to welcome 11,000 migrants from the Americas starting this fall

Canada is set to welcome 11,000 migrants from Colombia, Haiti and Venezuela this fall, immigration minister Marc Miller said.

In March of this year, Canada had promised it would welcome 15,000 migrants from the western hemisphere over the course of the year. On Tuesday, Miller said Canada was creating a “new humanitarian permanent residence pathway” for 11,000 migrants from three countries.

“Starting this fall, Colombian, Haitian and Venezuelan foreign nationals located in Central or South America or the Caribbean who have extended family connections in Canada will be eligible to apply for this new pathway,” Miller said in a statement.

The principal applicant, regardless of age, must be a child, grandchild, spouse, common-law partner, parent, grandparent or sibling of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. New permanent residents under this program will be offered “enhanced pre-arrival services,” which include an employment skills assessment and a referral to a settlement provider organization in their intended community.

“Global displacement of people in search of safety is at an all-time high. The Americas are seeing unprecedented numbers of migrants seeking safe haven and new opportunities, in often dangerous situations such as crossing the Darien Gap. Working closely with the US, we expect to see these measures help curb irregular migration and promote safe migration as an alternative to the often dangerous irregular routes in the Americas,” Miller said.