Newcomer Welcome and Inclusion Policy
Thousands of newcomers arrive in Winnipeg each year with many facing economic and social challenges as they adjust to life in their new city. To ensure Winnipeg is welcoming and inclusive to all newcomers, the recently established Human Rights Committee of Council directed the Public Service to develop a Newcomer Welcome and Inclusion Policy as one of their first actions.
The project will include creation of a policy framework and implementation plan outlining how the City can enhance the lives of newcomers in Winnipeg and better serve their distinct needs.
- Updates
- Engage
- Timeline
- Background
- Documents
- FAQs
- Related Links
Updates
March 2020
The Newcomer Welcome and Inclusion Policy was adopted by Council on February 27, 2020. Please visit the Documents tab to view the Policy.
Thank you to all stakeholders who provided input that was used to inform the development of the overall Policy framework, and to identify priorities and potential actions for implementation. Part II of the Stakeholder Engagement Summary is now available and provides an overview of how feedback was considered in the Policy. Part I of the Stakeholder Engagement Summary provided an overview of feedback collected for the Policy.
The City will now begin to implement key activities outlined in the policy framework. Implementation will begin with key activities that fall within existing resources for 2020. Please see the Newcomer Welcome and Inclusion Policy & Strategic Framework for more information on the key activities.
Engage
The City reached out to organizations that serve newcomers, in particular those working with recent immigrants and refugees, to discuss opportunities to enhance newcomer settlement in Winnipeg. Stakeholder input was used to inform the development of the overall Newcomer Welcome and Inclusion Policy framework, and to identify priorities and potential actions for implementation.
A stakeholder engagement summary is now available and provides an overview of the feedback collected for the project.
Call Noelle DePape at 204-226-3482 or email ndepape@winnipeg.ca if you have questions or feedback to provide.
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Background
On April 24, 2019 the Human Rights Committee of Council directed the Winnipeg Public Service to develop a Newcomer Welcome and Inclusion Policy framework for the City. The policy will itemize current City welcome and inclusion information and services available for newcomers and provide a framework for enhancing the lives of immigrants in Winnipeg by identifying ways in which the City could better serve their distinct needs. This includes economic and social cooperation, intergovernmental relations, service access and equity, advocacy, communication, public awareness, and education.
Documents
| Document Name | Date | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Newcomer Welcome and Inclusion Policy | 2020-03-02 | Policy |
| Stakeholder Engagement Summary Part II | 2020-03-02 | Report |
| Stakeholder Engagement Summary Part I | 2020-01-29 | Report |
| Public Engagement Summary Appendices | 2020-01-29 | Report |
FAQs
The Newcomer Welcome and Inclusion Policy will include a policy framework and implementation plan aimed at making Winnipeg more welcoming to newcomers by better meeting their distinct needs, improving newcomer access to City services, and increasing public awareness and education on human rights, equity, diversity, and inclusion. It will be presented to the Human Rights Committee of Council for its consideration.
Immigration is the key driver of Winnipeg’s population growth with thousands of newcomers arriving each year from around the world and elsewhere in Canada. The Newcomer Welcome and Inclusion Policy is being developed to better support the settlement of newcomers, and foster a welcoming, inclusive, and prosperous city for all new residents of Winnipeg.
Winnipeg should be a welcoming city to all new residents, including people arriving from reserves, rural communities, other provinces or territories, or countries outside Canada. This project will focus first on newcomers to Winnipeg who are recent immigrants and refugees from outside Canada. The interests and needs of other groups will be explored, but will likely require more time, stakeholder engagement, and community input to identify priorities and develop actions.
The City provides many services and programs, independently or in partnership with government and non-government organizations. More information can found on the City’s Newcomer Information webpage. Links to newcomer resources are also found on the Immigration Partnership Winnipeg Resource Page.