OTTAWA, October 30, 2003 -- The Honourable Denis Coderre, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), today tabled the 2003 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration. The report highlights the activities and initiatives CIC undertook in 2002 to select the people Canada needs and includes the government's immigration plan for 2004."This report demonstrates that Canada has a carefully managed, controlled and balanced immigration program," said Minister Coderre. "It provides a broad picture of what goes into realizing the social, cultural and economic benefits of immigration."The Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration, which must be tabled at the latest by November 1 each year, is a requirement under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), which came into effect on June 28, 2002. As IRPA was implemented halfway through 2002, the report touches on the selection decisions made under both the former Immigration Act and the new legislation. In addition to looking back on the 229,091 permanent residents welcomed to Canada in 2002, the report includes future projections. CIC expects to select between 220,000 and 245,000 new permanent residents in 2004 and is proposing the same target range for 2005."Working within available resources, immigration planning means setting priorities, balancing workloads and ensuring the capacity to integrate newcomers," explained the Minister. "CIC also recognizes the critical role of the provinces and territories in immigration planning and is committed to working with them."Key provincial and territorial considerations are included in the report, along with a complete list of federal-provincial-territorial agreements. The report also includes the linguistic profiles of last year's permanent residents, a gender-based analysis of the impact of IRPA, and the number of temporary resident permits issued.-30-For more information (media only):Sarah BainPress SecretaryOffice of the Minister(613) 954-1064Susan ScarlettMedia RelationsCommunications Branch(613) 941-7035Report:2003 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration2003 Annual Report toParliament on ImmigrationBackgrounder The 2003 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration provides information on immigration activities for the calendar year 2002 and includes the government's immigration plan for 2004. The report is a requirement of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), which came into effect on June 28, 2002. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will table the report on or before November 1 of each year.Highlights of the ReportAs required under section 94 of IRPA, this year's report provides information on the following immigration activities.The 229,091 immigrants who became permanent residents in 2002. This includes breakdowns by immigrant class, gender and province of destination, and the top countries of origin.The linguistic profiles of the permanent residents welcomed to Canada in 2002. The report indicates that 43.4% spoke English, 4.7% spoke French, and 6% spoke both official languages. The remaining 45.9% were reported to speak neither.The 37,626 permanent residents admitted to Canada under the Canada-Quebec Accord in 2002. Projections for this group of permanent residents have been set at 40,000 to 45,000 for 2004. More detailed information by class is also provided.The 8,873 temporary resident permits issued in 2002. Formerly known as Minister's permits, temporary resident permits are issued to foreign nationals who wish to remain in Canada for a limited period of time and who would otherwise be inadmissible for technical, medical or criminal reasons.The 4,038 individuals granted permanent resident status on humanitarian or compassionate grounds in 2002.Key information on the temporary residents of 2002 (foreign workers, students and visitors) has also been included to provide a more complete picture of the government's immigration activities.A status report on the number of permanent residents admitted in 2003 (from January to August), by immigrant class.Future projections: 220,000 to 245,000 new permanent residents are expected in 2004. This number is further broken down into the number of people expected to be accepted in Canada as protected persons or under the economic or family class. The number also includes immigrants expected under the Canada-Quebec Accord.A proposed plan for 2005. This plan proposes to maintain projections for 2005 at 220,000 to 245,000, subject to review and consultation.A gender-based analysis of the impact of IRPA in its initial phase. This public policy tool will ensure that the important social and economic differences between men and women are taken into account at all stages of the policy process.The report also includes the list of federal-provincial-territorial agreements currently in effect, as required under section 8 of IRPA.A Continued Period of TransitionBecause IRPA came into effect in mid-year, on June 28, 2002, the 2003 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration includes the selection decisions made under the former Immigration Act as well as under IRPA. In its 2004 report, CIC will cover the first full year of operations under IRPA.The information in this report is presented according to the requirements of IRPA. The main difference between past reports (prepared before 2002 according to section 7 of the former Immigration Act) and the 2003 report is the broader scope required under section 94 of IRPA. The report therefore provides information on immigration activities undertaken in the previous calendar year, a status report on the number of permanent residents to date in the current year, and projections for the number of permanent residents Canada will welcome in the following calendar year.
