CCD's Naresh Raghubeer & PM Harper agree on immigration reform

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Posted by National Post on 12:27:15 2008/04/19

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Immigration backlog 'holds us back,' PM says html .fb_share_link { padding:2px 0 0 20px; height:16px; background:url(<a style="font-weight:normal" href="http://static.ak.facebook.com/images/share/facebook_share_icon.gif?12:26981">http://static.ak.facebook.com/images/share/facebook_share_icon.gif?12:26981</a>) no-repeat top left; } #commentform-narrow { display: none; } #recent-comments { width: auto; padding-top: 0.25em; margin: 0 0 1em 0; } #recent-comments #comment_head { font: bold 14px georgia, serif; } #recent-comments .comment_box { width: auto; margin-bottom: 0.5em; } #comment_top { Xborder-top: #ccc 1px solid; } #commentform-narrow { float: none; width: auto; } @import url('<a style="font-weight:normal" href="http://www.nationalpost.com/_assets/css/common/video_widget.css'">http://www.nationalpost.com/_assets/css/common/video_widget.css'</a>); National Post Canada.com Network Browse the Canada.com Network Home News Sports Entertainment Health Travel Obituaries Celebrating Contractors National Post Victoria Times Colonist The Province (Vancouver) Vancouver Sun Edmonton Journal Calgary Herald Regina Leader-Post Saskatoon StarPhoenix Windsor Star Ottawa Citizen The Gazette (Montreal) DOSE Vancouver Island Newspapers VANNET Newspapers Global TV Global National Global BC Global Calgary Global Edmonton Global Lethbridge Global Saskatoon Global Regina Global Winnipeg Global Ontario Global Quebec Global Maritimes E! CHEK NEWS CHCA NEWS CHCH NEWS CJNT Montreal TVTropolis X-treme Sports Specialty Channels Shop | Find a Career | Find a Car | Find a Home National Post Home News Opinion Arts Life Sports Multimedia Your Post NP Network Blogs Financial Post RSS Most Popular Today's Paper & Archive Digital Paper Home Delivery Newsletters Hot Topics -- Conrad Black U.S. Election Aboriginals Diane Francis Tax Centre Biz Startups -- Search Home / Today's Paper Immigration backlog 'holds us back,' PM says Matthew Coutts, National Post Published: Saturday, April 19, 2008 Related Topics Canada India Foundation Naresh Raghubeer Sam Pitroda Story Tools - + Change font size Print this story E-Mail this story Share This Story Facebook Digg Del.icio.us More Story tools presented by '); }catch(e){} TORONTO - Immigration reforms proposed last month would foster stronger bonds with such emerging industrial powers as India, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said last night. Speaking at a gala held by the Canada India Foundation, the Prime Minister promised the changes tabled by the Conservative government to streamline the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act would bring skilled workers from India more effectively. If nothing is done, the backlog of applicants from around the world could grow to 1.5 million within five years, he said. "Not only is the backlog a source of great irritation for those patiently waiting their turn, it will hold back Canada's growth," said Mr. Harper. Canada's backlog of immigration applicants is about 925,000, the longest in the world, with an average wait time of six years. The government's proposed amendments -- which would ease skill shortages in the country and drastically reduce the wait list -- would allow in skilled workers from growing nations such as India. These migrants are flocking to countries that clock wait times of months, not years, he said. Naresh Raghubeer, a member of the Canada India Foundation, said the bill strikes the right balance between targeting immigrants based on skill and on humanitarian grounds. He said the Indo-Canadian community, which "is a very educated community," has welcomed the reforms. Since 2006, Canada has accepted nearly 250,000 immigrants, 56,000 of whom were from India. Mr. Harper's comments followed an announcement that Canada is to open two new trade offices in India, including one in India's southern technology hub, Hyderabad, to improve trade relations with the country. "We simply as a country cannot afford to miss out on the Indian economic phenomenon," Mr. Harper said. Last night's inaugural gala dinner was held in recognition of Sam Pitroda, the recipient of the Canada India Foundation Chanchlani Global Indian Award. 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