Want more immigrants? Put more money into support system, Multicultural Council says

If New Brunswick wants to boost its population, the province needs to put more money into frontline settlement agencies, the New Brunswick Multicultural Council says.

During his state of the province speech last week, Premier Blaine Higgs laid out a goal of attracting up to 10,000 newcomers a year by 2027.

"You set a big goal and we need to build the right plans and make the necessary investments to achieve that goal," said Alex LeBlanc, executive director of the New Brunswick Multicultural Council.

New Brunswick could likely reach its target of 7,500 immigrants before2024.But there are a few things the province needs to accomplish first.

"We're not ... out in left field on this,"

LeBlanc said the province needs to invest in the frontline work, such as connecting immigrants to schools and finding suitable housing, jobs and neighbours.

The province investsabout $5 million in settlement agencies and partners across the province now. But with an increase in immigration year over year, LeBlancsaid it's not enough.

"We're putting a lot of effort in recruiting people. And we have a responsibility when they come to give them the right support," he said.

A population increase

Last fall, Statistics Canada released estimates showing the number of New Brunswick residents hit a record 776,827 on July 1, a gain of 5,906 over the previous 12 months.

It's the largest single-year population increase in New Brunswick since 1991 and a revival from the early 2000s when the province stopped growing entirely and began shrinking.

• Immigration boosts New Brunswick population to record level

"Year over year we're seeing a lot more people coming," he said.

And it's up to immigration advocates to meet with the province to come up with a formula that ensures newcomers have access to the right services when they come.

"They're not moving from Minto to Fredericton," said LeBlanc.

"They're moving from halfway around the globe. And often arrive with very little in terms of belongings and connections."

There also needs to be more co-operationbetween the federal government and the province to make sure the immigration process is easier to navigate.

LeBlanc said he's heard stories of international students filling out an immigration form the wrong way and being forced to leave the country.

'A pathway to permanence'

Higgs has also floated the idea of trying to grow New Brunswick's population to one million people by 2040, an increase that he says would boost the province's gross domestic product by $15 billion and add 100,000 jobs.

Right now there are about 3,800 international students in New Brunswick. And between 60 and 80 per cent of those students want to stay in the province.

• N.B. 'ahead of game' in immigration: federal minister

There are also about 1,500 temporary foreign workers in the province who want permanent residency and to make New Brunswick their home with their families.

"As we think about, 'How do we reach that immigration target?' we need not look further than some of the newcomers that are already in our communities and are looking at a pathway to permanence."