Manitoba Liberals will make Manitoba the most welcoming province for new immigrants

Over the course of the history of Manitoba, immigrants have contributed in an extraordinary way to our province. Immigrants will continue to help build Manitoba and improve our society and our economy. Manitoba Liberals will make sure Manitoba is very welcoming to immigrants. Our announcement yesterday is below.

Manitoba Liberals Will End Pallister Immigration Head Tax,
Create New Stream to Reunite Families

WINNIPEG - Manitoba Liberals will return Manitoba to the most welcoming province in Canada, by creating a “Family Reunification Stream” of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) and removing the $500 head tax brought in by the PCs.

Liberals say the reason to focus on family reunification is both humane, economic, and helps build communities because family members are more likely to stay in Winnipeg.

“The great promise of Manitoba is that people from all over the world can come here to build a new life,” said Lamont. “When we reunite families, people are more likely to stay in Manitoba and be part of building our province together.”

The province says its GDP would be 30 per cent lower today without the economic benefit of this immigration boom generated by the MPNP ⁠— 90 per cent of immigrants are employed within their first year in Manitoba and around the same percentage stay in the province.

The very first act of the Pallister government after being elected was to introduce a head tax for PNP applications. While the PCs promised the revenue of just over $2 million/yr. from PNP applications would go into immigration programming, it didn’t happen. The PC government collected over $4 million in two years from families, yet immigration services budgets only increased by $1.3 million in the past three years.

“It’s wrong for the PCs to be charging a head tax of $500 when parents are seeking to reunite with their children, husbands and wives that have been separated,” said Deep Brar, Manitoba Liberal Candidate for The Maples. “We need to protect and enhance our amazing PNP program to ensure that all Manitobans can build successful lives here.”

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