Immigration Minister John McCallum and Press Conference

private sponsors: Immigration Minister John McCallum speaks at a press conference. The Liberals say they will triple the number of spots for private sponsors, part of a near-doubling of the humanitarian stream of the immigration program overall compared with levels under the Conservative government, according to Huffington Post Canada. The Liberals will also increase available spaces in the family program from a maximum 68,000 under the Conservatives last year to 82,000 this year. Bringing in 25,000 government-assisted Syrian refugees by the end of this year has maxed out the immigration stream, leaving the private sector to offer vulnerable people from elsewhere in the world a chance at life in Canada. Increases in the two streams are driving the government maximum target for new permanent residents this year to 305,000, the highest in decades despite their planned decrease in economic immigration. Significant shift in immigration policy' Immigration Minister John McCallum said the plan is grounded in Canada tradition of being a welcoming and generous country. "It outlines a significant shift in immigration policy towards reuniting more families, building our economy and upholding Canada humanitarian traditions to resettle refugees and offer protection to those in need," McCallum told a news conference in Brampton, Ont. A maximum of 162,400 will be accepted, down about 24,000 people from last year high target, though it in line with the years before that. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.