CANADA | Restaurants Canada has joined calls from politicians to implement secure employment for asylum seekers, especially in hospitality.
Restaurants Canada has welcomed and supported the collective call by Canada’s Premiers at the recent Council of the Federation meeting for a more regionally responsive, transparent, and effective immigration system, especially for asylum seekers..
Labour shortages are having a devastating impact on the foodservice industry in Canada. Our sector employs 1.2 million Canadians, many of whom are youth, but those jobs are at risk if hard-to-fill and skilled positions, like cooks, remain vacant.
Restaurants Canada has urged the federal government to respond to the premiers’ call to reinstate Provincial and Territorial Nominee Program (PTNP) allocations to ensure access to economic migrants, especially in rural, remote and tourist areas and hard-to-fill positions. With more than 78,000 job vacancies, current immigration levels threaten the viability of many restaurants, particularly in rural, remote and tourist areas. It is essential that foodservice be permitted to provide jobs for newcomers.
Kelly Higginson, President and CEO of Restaurants Canada said a more regionally responsive, transparent and effective immigration system would have a lasting impact on the national hospitality industry as a significant employer across the country.
“As Canada continues to welcome a significant number of asylum seekers, Restaurants Canada supports automatically granting work permits to them so that they can fully contribute to society and the Canadian economy while their claims are processed,” said Higginson.
She added that the proposal was in the national interest, and that providing asylum seekers with stable employment was important.
“As a major employer of newcomers across the country, we have the ability to ensure a smooth transition into employment for asylum seekers. We also share the concerns of the premiers that processing times, not just for asylum seekers, but for all immigration streams, need to be faster,” she said.
Higginson said a collaborative federal-provincial framework that is responsive to regional realities is essential.
“We look forward to continuing this conversation with all levels of government.”
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