Honourable senators, I rise to draw your attention to the 25th International Metropolis Conference held in Berlin last month.

I was honoured to attend in a personal capacity this forum that reunited experts, policy-makers and business leaders to discuss issues related to migration, mobility, integration and inclusion.

Our very own Senator Omidvar was a keynote speaker. I was proud to join her for various events and workshops, and I must admit she was welcomed like a rock star in Germany. When Senator Omidvar spoke, people listened. Her expertise is second to none, and Canada is lucky to have her in the Senate.

For me, the conference was an opportunity to immerse myself more fully in matters of migration and integration. There are two things I took away from the conference. One was that Canada has a lot to share with our international counterparts in terms of best practices. Our immigration system is not perfect, but it’s still the envy of the world and we should be proud.

Two, the global competition to attract immigrants is on. Canada is in a good position because we’ve always been an attractive destination with successful integration policies. However, we need to accelerate; otherwise we risk losing ground to other nations.

Canada’s prosperity will depend heavily on increased immigration. We need new Canadians to fill current and future labour shortages.

Immigration already accounts for almost 100% of Canada’s workforce growth.

As our population ages and retires, this pool of talent will be front and centre as we grow our economy. Right now, about 6 in 10 immigrants are selected for their positive economic impact.

Inflation and labour shortages are top of mind these days, and there is a correlation between the two. Immigrants can help address these shortfalls. As the Century Initiative recently reported, “Growing our population through immigration contributes to a larger GDP” and could also increase GDP per capita if we adequately leverage the talent and skills of immigrants.

Honourable senators, “business as usual” is no longer acceptable. Our meetings in Berlin confirmed the urgency for Canada to do better and faster.

As the Century Initiative reminds us:

Canada is ranked as the world’s most accepting country towards immigrants, its policies to integrate migrants are considered among the best in the world, and immigration has widespread public and political support.

We must capitalize on this stellar reputation. Our economic prosperity literally relies on it. Thank you.