A hundred Mauritian workers and their families will have the
opportunity to work in Canada as part of a new labour migration
initiative aimed at finding more francophone skilled and
low-skilled workers for three Canadian provinces.

Through a joint agreement between the Mauritian government,
l'Assemblée communautaire fransaskoise (ACF), a provincial
body representing the French community in the Canadian province of
Saskatchewan, IOM and recruitment specialists Prudhomme
International, the workers will be recruited to fill labour needs
in the agricultural, oil, hospitality, mining, healthcare,
construction and transportation industries in Saskatchewan, Alberta
and Manitoba.

The pilot programme, involving the selection, preparation,
mobilization, settlement and integration of the workers, could see
the eventual recruitment of 500 skilled and low-skilled Mauritians
for the three Canadian provinces.

Through the programme, the selected Mauritian workers will be
able to apply for permanent migration status through existing
migration initiatives.

Working together with the Ministry of Labour, Industrial
Relations and Employment, the Ministry for Social Integration and
Economic Empowerment and the National Empowerment Foundation, IOM
will support outreach efforts in Mauritius to ensure potential
Mauritian migrants are aware of the opportunity and that a pool of
applicants is created for positions in Canada.

IOM and partners will also carry out pre-selection interviews,
finalize the list of candidates for final selection, with IOM also
facilitating visas and medical examinations.

Amongst other things, Prudhomme will carry out human resource
planning with employers in the three participating Canadian states
and provide both the Mauritian government and IOM with worker
profiles and job descriptions to help pre-select candidates.

The ACF will predominantly focus on the integration of the
Mauritian workers and their families, ensure short-term housing
needs upon arrival in Canada and help find long-term accommodation
as well as help spouses in finding employment as well.

"This is an excellent example of government, civil society,
private sector and an international organization collaborating on
legal migration initiatives that benefit migrants, destination and
source countries as well as the private sector as it defines its
labour needs for the mid-long term. The integration focus in this
agreement underscores the importance of including this critical
aspect of labour mobility if migration is to be successful for
migrants and host communities in the long-term," says Lalini
Veerassamy, IOM Head of Office in Mauritius.

For further information, please contact:

Lalini Veerassamy

IOM Mauritius

Tel: +2302133304

E-mail: "mailto:lveerassamy@iom.int">lveerassamy@iom.int 

or

The National Empowerment Foundation

Tel: +2304055100