History
The Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement (COIA), which was signed in 2005, generated the right conditions for the creation of Local Immigration Partnerships (LIPs). For the first time, federal and provincial governments explicitly committed to involving municipalities in immigration planning and decision-making.
The Municipal Immigration Committee (MIC) is co-chaired by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration (MCI), and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). It was established under COIA to explore municipal interests in immigration. Read more
Consultations were held with 700 stakeholders in 10 Ontario communities. This research supported the development of Local Immigration Partnerships to address community needs. Read more
As municipalities gained a voice, consensus emerged on the key priorities, namely, the attraction, retention, settlement, and integration of immigrants. Read more
In 2010, the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration recognized the Local Immigration Partnerships as a best practice. It recommended that CIC continue to support LIPs in Ontario and to expand the model to other regions. Read more
There is growing recognition that immigrant integration is a community issue not simply an immigrant issue. Thus, we all have a role to play in being more welcoming and inclusive.