HALIFAX — A successful immigration program that brought more than 120 Russian Israelis to Nova Scotia since 2008 has been temporarily halted due to federal policy changes that no longer give weight to the Jewish community’s support for newcomers when their applications are assessed.
As part of efforts to revitalize a dwindling Jewish community, the Atlantic Jewish Council (AJC) attracted Israeli Jews, mostly with Russian roots, to Halifax, where they found jobs, bought homes and cars, and placed hundreds of children in schools.
Yet the changes in federal immigration standards, which filtered down to affect the AJC’s program, have caused a halt to the migration.
“The province made changes in 2014 and 2015 in consultation with the federal government and has left us little opportunity to continue our program,” said a disappointed Edna LeVine, director of community engagement for the AJC. “We were successful, but because of the federal government’s revised policies, support from the AJC won’t help new immigrants gain entry. It’s been more than a year since we’ve interviewed new candidates.”
The AJC program in Nova Scotia, which was also running in neighbouring New Brunswick in Saint John, Moncton and Fredericton, has helped a shrinking Jewish population in the region revive itself and create some enthusiasm for the future.
“We’ve been told by the province’s department of immigration that they’ll discuss with us the next steps,” said LeVine.
That was confirmed last week by Suzanne Ley, executive director of the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration.
“In 2013, the federal government said to close the stream whereby communities could identify and support applications. In Nova Scotia, we started a new program last January, a pilot called Nova Scotia Demand Express Entry, but it does not give any weight to support from community groups such as the AJC. And we can’t make any changes to our programs without negotiating with the federal government.”
She said “the strength of the new system was purported to be that it would be fast, flexible and responsive to a changing labour market. It also aimed to cut processing times. Under the old system, every application had to be assessed in the order it was received, even as backlogs grew. Under Express Entry, only those with a strong chance of qualifying for permanent residency need further assessment.”
Ley stressed that the AJC “still plays a role” but it’s different.
The province will continue to work with the AJC and ensure that it supports and welcomes new immigrants, she said. “The bottom line today is the AJC is still promoting Nova Scotia as an immigrant destination, but it’s not part of the application process.”
She added: “The federal government has the final say [on who is admitted to Canada], and we have to follow its legislation. They make the final decision on all nominations.”
LeVine stressed that the AJC-supported program “was a success because we facilitated settlement. We welcomed these families and provided a community connection. We had a very high retention rate, with most of the candidates we identified remaining here in Halifax, settling into homes and jobs, which is exactly what the provincial government is looking for.”
Ley added, “We’re hoping the Express Entry program works. We’re continually assessing our streams and will make adjustments if necessary.”
LeVine concluded, “The big question is how can [the province] find a way to create criteria so we can continue our program.”
