As per the report by the immigration minister Jason Kenney, Canada is going to accept fewer refugees and family class immigrants in 2010. Instead, the country expects to focus the 2010 immigration levels plan on economic immigration, thereby helping the country to recover from the recession.

Jason Kenney’s annual report presented in parliament in late 2009 makes it clear that the immigration department has reduced the immigration levels for refugees by 3,000 and family class immigrants, including spouses, children, parents, grandparents and relatives by 8,000. However, the department sets the total immigration targets for 2010 same as the recent years at between 240,000 to 265,000.

This time the government is aiming to accept more of immigrants under the economy class, including future entrepreneurs, skilled workers and live-in caregivers. It is hoping to welcome a total of 166,800 under the economy class in 2010, who would play an important role in Canadian economy.

The Immigration department’s stance on the refugee immigration levels issue made critics raise their voices! Some went on to say that the image of Canada would be affected by this decision. Kenney’s report says that, the country will accept somewhere between 9,000 to 12,000 immigrants, including dependents in 2010, from people applying for refugees after arriving in the country. The number strikes a dramatic reduction of refugee immigrants from 2006, when the country’s former Liberal government allowed 22,500 to 28,800. Similarly, the maximum target for family class immigrants for 2010 is 63,000, a significant drop from 71,000 in 2009!