From September 8 to 17, Canada will observe #WelcomingWeek2023 to urge Canadians to welcome newcomers and assist them in settling in.
According to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), welcoming week is an annual event that provides an opportunity to honour and celebrate newcomers and make everyone, regardless of where they come from, feel like they belong in their community.
According to census 2021 figures, there are around 8.3 million immigrants in Canada, accounting for nearly a quarter of the total population. According to Statistics Canada, the immigrant population will continue to grow and will account for 34% of the population by 2041.
According to IRCC, the more welcome newcomers feel, the more they will assimilate and contribute to their communities.
#ImmigrationMatters
Welcoming Week is part of the Immigration and Refugee Council of Canada’s #ImmigrationMatters initiative to increase awareness on the benefits of immigration in Canada. It urges everyone to participate and provides various options for how Canadians might assist.
You can then help the newbie navigate day-to-day living in their new neighbourhood. It also encourages Canadians and recent immigrants to enjoy meals and attend cultural events together. Connecting with a newcomer can also be as simple as striking up a discussion to improve one’s English or French language abilities.
A sense of belonging
According to a recent Statistics Canada survey, immigrants enjoy a stronger sense of belonging in Canada than Canadian-born people. This is especially true for people who choose to settle in Ontario and the Atlantic provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
A better sense of belonging means that a newcomer will be more involved in their community, will create more connections, and will eventually choose to stay in Canada and contribute to the economy.
According to the study, a newcomer’s views about Canada’s multicultural policies, thoughts about Canada’s unique Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and opinion that Canada’s national symbols are vital components of Canadian identity all contribute to a sense of belonging.
Canada Immigration
In a recent remark, Immigration Minister Marc Miller emphasized the benefits of immigration.
“Being a welcoming country brings significant benefits,” he explained. “Immigration has driven our economic growth, and it is a critical component of our economic strategy to address our aging population.” Immigrants have an important part in Canada’s cultural and economic fabric, whether spurring innovation across several industries, filling labour market gaps, or creating jobs.”
According to IRCC, one of the unique ways to participate in Welcoming Week is to call a settlement assistance agency and be matched with a newcomer.
Immigration accounts for over 100% of labour force growth in Canada and roughly 75% of population growth. Furthermore, the majority of entrants to Canada enter through economic class immigration categories, indicating that they are qualified workers.
Canada’s economy is heavily reliant on immigration. According to Statistics Canada, firms majority-owned by immigrants accounted for 24.4% of all private sector businesses in the third quarter of 2022.
Over 437,000 new immigrants are expected to arrive in Canada by 2022. The immigration levels plan seeks to accept 465,000 newcomers by the end of 2023, with the goal of increasing to over 500,000 new permanent residents admitted each year by the end of 2025.
