05/22/2023
Canada wants to endorse its own category of open-door country for immigrants, despite the noise that has been generated about this situation in recent months, and one of its priorities is Colombia.
At least that’s what Canada’s ambassador to Colombia, Marianique Tremblay, who has been in office for a year and a half, warned. Indeed, to support his thesis that Canada wants to support a vision of open doors to legal immigration, he shared a series of personalities with this newspaper.
In fact, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada—quoting the diplomat’s office—”more and more Colombians visit this country every year.”
In 2022 alone, more than 27,000 temporary residence visas were issued to Colombian citizens, with which they can carry out tourism, family visits and, among other things, business trips. In addition, more than 10,000 study permits and nearly 7,000 temporary work permits have been granted.
“We are very well known for being a multicultural country and I think with a world as we know it now, people want security, they want to be able to access education, they want to be integrated into society. And those are the values that we try to promote, so people have an interest in coming to Canada,” Tremblay said.
In this context, official figures confirm this interest, as in 2021 nearly 5,000 temporary residence visas, nearly 7,000 study permits and more than 5,000 temporary work permits were issued. However, that year there were still restrictions in place due to the pandemic that had hit the entire world.
The ambassador to Colombia added, “There are temporary workers that are required, of course, at the agricultural level, but I think there is an opportunity for all levels such as technicians and majors.”
But it’s not the only front where the wipers open up. In fact, on a visit by the diplomat to Medellin – during which she spoke with Colombian correspondents – it was confirmed that in 2022 more than $1.8 billion worth of goods were exported to Canada. This represents an increase of about 40% compared to what was exported in 2021.
The embassy stated that “the main products that Canada exports to Colombia are wheat, potassium chloride, lentils, medicines, aluminum and canola oil.”
Other points that Ambassador Tremblay made in her interview with this newspaper include investing in fronts related to development, poverty eradication, gender equality and peacebuilding.
Indeed, he confirmed that in 2022 his country invested more than $49 million in international assistance in the Women’s Voice and Leadership programmes, which are supported by Oxfam Colombia and which aim to train 15 organizations and two local and African rural networks. – Colombians in internal governance and financial management.
Of course, he made it clear that his country views with concern the fact that ongoing killings are taking place against social leaders and demobilized members of the extinct FARC.
We are very concerned about these murders, and we are following up on the case, because I have also sent letters and spoken to the ministers. Yes, we care and we are trying to see how we can support constructively where there is potential,” said Tremblay.
But Canada is currently facing a difficult confrontation with China, to the point that the diplomatic relations between the two countries are in intensive care.
Although the mayhem dates back to 2018, when a senior executive of Chinese telecoms group Huawei was arrested in Canada, which was answered by the arrest of two Canadian citizens in China, the latest chapter — taped a week ago — was the mutual expulsion. of diplomatic representatives.
“The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, and Chancellor Melanie Jolie, have spoken very clearly about the situation (…), because Canadian values of democracy must be defended; and that is why action has been taken commensurate with the situation.”
