The province’s immigration minister is defending his push to increase the number of newcomers to Newfoundland and Labrador, directly addressing potential criticism that such a move could strain housing and health care.
Earlier this week, Gerry Byrne made a plea for his colleagues to lobby the federal Mark Carney government for immigration reform after the province’s allotment of spaces was reduced this year. Byrne’s goal is to gradually increase the number to 9,000 newcomers annually.
Acknowledging that other parts of the country have seen strains on services due to immigration, Byrne argues that the situation in this province is different and requires a different approach. While he admits there are “serious issues” with health care and housing, he says the government is taking steps to improve the situation.
Byrne warns against letting “populist, untruthful fiction” take hold, emphasizing that newcomers are not to blame for these systemic problems.
“Less than three per cent of our province are newcomers,” Byrne states. “Don’t blame the entirety of a situation on three per cent of the population.”
