Immigration.ca - Canada Immigration News - April 2009
Canada’s Immigration Minister says that the country’s immigration process should place more stress on Canadian values.
The comments were made by Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Jason Kenney while speaking last week at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce.
Kenney said that his department is currently reviewing the entire citizenship process to ensure that Canadian values will be clearly communicated to newcomers. He said that there should be more Canadian history incorporated into the process.
“We want to make sure that when people become Canadians, they totally understand that Canadian history becomes their history, Canadian values become their values,” said Kenney.
Among factors that could underscore contribute the importance of Canadian values, Kenney cited information booklets given to potential immigrants, as well as the exam itself, which he said was “outdated” and had very little about Canadian history.
Kenney also noted that only 25 per cent of new arrivals to the country have been taking advantage of language classes and, once again, emphasized the importance of proficiency in English or French.
Critics argue that more Canadian history on the exams is not the answer to successful integration and say that more funding is needed for resettlement programs.
Source: National Post
