Manitoba launches new advisory council on immigration in effort to strengthen and diversify economy

A new advisory council on immigration will act as an expert panel for the purposes of recommending improvements to the province's current immigration policies and programs, government officials announced Monday afternoon.

Premier Heather Stefanson along with Manitoba Advanced Education, Skills and Immigration Minister Jon Reyes said the Immigration Advisory Council, co-chaired by Reyes and former federal foreign affairs minister Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, will review the entire continuum of immigration, from promotion to retention of newcomers. 

The council will also provide concise recommendations and concrete actions to the province, such as strengthening the Canada-Manitoba Immigration Agreement.

Stefanson said the province has a plan to incentive investment, foster job creation, improve and expand education and training opportunities in an effort to facilitate economic growth in the province. Immigration and a diverse workforce contribute to a strong economy, Stefanson said.

As the province winds down its pandemic-related restrictions, the premier said it's the right time to shift focus onto diversifying the province's workforce.

"We recognize Manitoba's labour shortage is real and must be addressed for our province to have a strong, social and economic recovery," Stefanson said.

She added that Manitoba needs to make it easier for people to come to the province to "build a life of opportunity and prosperity."

"The best way that we can learn how to improve and enhance a program is by listening to those who have actually used the program," Reyes said.

The advisory council will focus on attracting and recruiting more immigrants and business investors to the province, streamlining the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) and fostering Manitoba's settlement and integration programs and services, as well as foreign credential recognition programs.

The advisory council is expected to consist of individuals with expertise related to immigration services, governance, economic development, analysis, project management and community integration.

It will represent front-line immigration service providers, ethnocultural community leaders and organizations, representatives of Manitoba's business, industry, and academic communities and will have urban, regional and francophone representation.

"I think there's a lot of space now for some new pathways for labour recruitment and migration," Axworthy said, adding that the federal government has established some pilot programming in similar capacities.

"I think that we as partners with them can lead and do some real innovation on how to make this work that can be a model to other parts of the country. So I think this is something that has a wider orbit than just our own province."

Work to finalize the council's membership is expected to begin immediately. A final report will be provided by the end of the year, the premier said.

Jon Reyes said the announcement builds on the success of the MPNP, which received 6,275 applications in 2021, the highest number of nominees since the program was established in 1998.

Last year, about 21 per cent of nominees settled outside the Winnipeg capital region, with Brandon, Neepawa, Steinbach, Winkler, Thompson and Portage la Prairie the top regional destinations.

Francophone immigration to Manitoba is also up because of strong collaboration with francophone community partners. More than 2,000 French-speaking immigrants have arrived in Manitoba since 2015, and 1,400 of these were provincial nominees.

The top occupations for nominees included transport truck drivers, food-counter attendants, food service supervisors, cooks and other customer service representatives.

"We know that those new Manitobans will use their skills and training to contribute to the long-term economic recovery and growth of our province," Reyes added.

Reyes said his department is in communication with the federal government to see if it's possible that those numbers can increase, but he didn't get into specifics.

The hope, as per Stefanson, is that number will be "much higher" in years to come.