Canuckistan immigration: Refugees prioritized over skilled workers

From the Great No-longer-white North comes a disturbing report of the overweaning wokeness of the Liberal government of Prime Minister Blackie McBlackface. "Diversity is our strength!", says Mr Socks, by which he apparently means that "diversity" and "inclusiveness" trump common sense, at least when it comes to immigration policy.

The Liberals' push to Build Back Better [Where have we heard that before? Ed.] is stalled, particularly in the real estate and housing sector, because there just aren't enough builders. Provincial governments from coast to coast to coast (as the saying goes) are crying for skilled workers -- electricians, carpenters, and (of course) the proverbial Polish plumbers. [British readers will get that. Ed.]

The federal bureaucracy in charge -- the name Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada says it all -- admits in a memo obtained by immigration lawyer Steven Meurrens and furnished to the National Post, that "an estimated 76,000" applicants are in the inventory for federal high-skilled worker (FSW) applications, which is more than the number needed to meet targets all the way out to 2023. Over 207,000 people are treading water in the so-called "express entry pool", which includes skilled workers, skilled trades and people with experience living in Canada.

However... Canada’s immigration system for such potentially useful immigrants is severely backlogged. Even though the labour shortage is critical, the wokesters in Ottawa are "pausing" new invitations because the department simply can’t process them quickly enough. Applicants nominated by provincial governments are still being "processsed", but other economic immigrants have been on hold since last fall. 

What (Walt hears you frostbacks asking) is the problem? Simple. The skilled workers aren't as important as these guys.

The Liberals' current immigration plan ["Is dis a plan?" Poor Len Canayen] forecasts bringing in 110,500 skilled workers next year, but the Immigration & Refugees department says in the same memo that could have to be cut by as much as half, because the department has so much other work.

Such as what? "These reductions are due to admissions space required to accommodate the TR2PR stream* and the resettlement of Afghan nationals to Canada." The Liberals initially pledged to bring 20,000 Afghans to Canada, but during last fall's federal election campaign doubled the pledge to 40,000. 

A new immigration "plan" will be tabled in Parliament when the House of Commons resumes in February. The department aims for a six-month processing time for FSWs, but the memo warns that processing times could rise dramatically. 

"Processing times are currently at 20.4 months (over three times higher than the service standard) and are expected to continue to grow as older inventory is processed. The FSW processing time is expected to rise to 36 months throughout 2022." Not much help there for the construction or other industries, but Sikh truck drivers will be easy to find. Pushtu-English interpreters too.

* TR2PR is another Liberal scheme to allow more unskilled third-worlders -- potential Liberal voters all! -- into Canada by the back door. Anyone who got into Canada in any way as a Temporary Resident -- for instance as a "student" (read: truck driver) -- can apply to become a Permanent Resident without further qualifications.