On June 25, 2020, during the virtual Annual Tripartite Consultations on Resettlement (ATCR), the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC), Marco E. L. Mendicino, announced Canada’s commitment to welcoming refugees to Canada, through

three proposals designed to promote Canada Permanent residency for individuals seeking refugee status in Canada:

Three Proposals

1. Admit up to 500 refugees over the next two years under the Creation of Economic Mobility Pathways Project (EMPP);

2. Establish an advisory role for a former refugee to attend international refugee protection meetings with the Canadian delegation; and

3. Creation of a new Global Task Force on Refugee Labour Mobility

These actions demonstrate Canada’s commitment to refugee protection and the expansion of opportunities for refugees in Canada and will serve to inspire other countries to strengthen the work of the ATCR.

The ATCR is the primary forum for governments, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), non-governmental organizations, international organizations, refugees and other stakeholders to collaborate and advance and find solutions for refugee resettlement. In July 2019, Canada assumed the chair of the ATCR, to the end of June 2020, along with the Canadian Council for Refugees and the UNHCR.

Great News About the EMPP

• Through the EMPP, candidates can apply for permanent residence through existing economic immigration pathways, such as the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (AIPP) and the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) Program.
• The overarching goal of the Global Task Force on Refugee Labour Mobility, which will be launched later in 2020, is to generate global momentum to scale up labour mobility pathways as a solution for refugees.