A new federal program has offered over 100 refugees continuing care assistants jobs in Nova Scotia. Some of the refugees from the Kakuma camp in Kenya are still waiting in Kenya after being accepted into the program for two years. But they are hopeful of leaving Kenya for Canada one day.
The federal program is not a humanitarian program, Become A Canadian reported. Instead, it is a new route created to serve as a bridge between displaced people living in refugee camps who want to move to Canada and Canada’s need for healthcare workers.
The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) program started in 2018 as a small research project. With it, about 132 people comprising 48 applicants and 84 of their dependents, have been able to relocate to Canada.
Details about the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot Program
The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot Program was initially funded completely through philanthropy, according to Become A Canadian. Now, the Canadian federal government offers $6.2 million to the program to help partner NGOs.
This fund enables non-government organizations to identify qualified candidates overseas. It also helps support the applicants through interviews, hiring, and immigration processes.
Also, the government works with employers and communities across Canada to raise awareness for the program.
Ultimately, this program aims to bring in 2,000 qualified refugees over the next few years. Become A Canadian stated that the eligible refugees will have to work in the different sectors in Canada with shortages.
Kakuma Camp – Top on the List for the EMPP Program
One of the refugee camps where the Canadian government is making an effort to bring in qualified health workers is the Kakuma camp in Kenya. This camp is top on the list for EMPP because it has fully qualified refugees as healthcare professionals.
