CANADA PLEDGES $27 MILLION TO EASE MIGRATION

The prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau during a plenary session at the summit of the Americas promised that Canada would be releasing $27 million to ease the ever- growing pressure of migration. This agreement was one of the major focal points of the meeting which resulted in a resounding success with Canada committing to spend precisely $26.9 million to reduce the influx of migrants from the Caribbean and Latin America. Taking it a step further, a pledge to accept an additional 4000 migrants from the region by latest 2028 in addition to a pre-existing plan to welcome 50000 more agricultural workers from the Caribbean, Mexico and Guatemala was made by the Los-Angeles declaration on migration and protection. In further statements made by Trudeau, he said that it is simply not enough to just accept people but that the country (Canada) ensures that the would-be migrators realise that it is not the only choice they have and they do not feel so compelled that their only choice becomes putting their families at risk in order to leave their country. In fulfilment of the above, the government committed to give an additional $118 million for progressive initiatives targeted at improving the lives of those in the Caribbean and Latin America. This fund consists of $67.9 million in promoting gender equality, $31.5 million in health and pandemic response spending, $17.3 million on democratic governance and $1.6 million for digital access and anti-disinformation measures. President Joe Biden at the conference, aired his views on the subject by blaming the migratory pressure on the economic consequences from the COVID-19 pandemic, which was further inflamed by the war in Ukraine. He further urged that the nations work together to care for their neighbours. Canada’s contribution of $26.9 million seeks to improve integration and border management, protecting the rights of migrants, gender equality measures and tackling human smuggling. The L.A declaration was birthed based on four key pillars which according to Biden are; stability and assistance for communities, wider legal migratory routes, humane migration management and co-ordinated emergency response.