Representatives from the Turkish Ministry of Labour and Social Services are currently on a five-day high-level study tour of Canada, organized by IOM's Regional Office in Vienna and IOM Turkey.  The purpose of the tour is to learn about how Canada organizes and implements its economic immigration programmes (including topics such as international students and foreign qualification recognition) as well as its integration programming.

The visit will include meetings with a wide array of stakeholders engaged in immigration issues: Federal Government, Provincial Government (Ontario Ministry of Immigration and Citizenship), Municipal Government (City of Toronto), NGOs  including YMCA-YWCA, Hire Immigrants, and the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, and Carleton and Ryerson universities.

They will also meet with agencies responsible for qualification recognition (CICIC) and immigration consultants (ICCRC). The delegation will have an opportunity to meet with Senator Ratna Omidvar, a world renowned expert on issues of immigration, diversity and inclusion, co-chair of the Global Future Council on Migration hosted by the World Economic Forum and  Councillor on the World Refugee Council.

"The study tour is giving our Turkish interlocutors a chance to see how Canada organizes its migration services, whilst also exchanging ideas from their own context," noted Michael Newson, Labour Migration Specialist at IOM's Regional Office for South Eastern and Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Picture shows Turkish Ministry of Labour and Social Services delegation meeting the directors at YMCA-YWCA settlement services to learn about Canada’s settlement and integration programming for immigrants.

City of Dispatch: Toronto