Canada has made its Rural Community Immigration Pilot a permanent programme, creating a long-term pathway for skilled foreign workers seeking to live and work in smaller communities facing persistent labour shortages.

The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Lena Metlege Diab, announced the decision on Monday, November 9, 2026, in Pictou County, Nova Scotia.

According to a statement published on the website of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the programme will initially retain the 14 communities currently participating in the pilot, with plans to expand to additional communities in the future.

The employer- and community-led initiative is designed to address labour shortages in rural Canada by connecting foreign workers and their families with local employers and community support systems, while encouraging their long-term settlement.

Announcing the decision, Diab said the government recognised the critical role rural communities play in Canada’s economy and the difficulties they face in recruiting workers.

“Our government understands that rural communities play a critical role in powering Canada’s economy. At the same time, many face real challenges finding the workers they need. That’s why we’re transitioning our successful rural immigration pilot into a permanent program—helping smaller communities attract and retain essential workers who deliver services and drive economic growth.

“We appreciate that a one-size-fits-all approach to immigration doesn’t work for rural Canada, and this permanent pathway is one part of our work to ensure that communities of all sizes can share in the benefits of responsible, sustainable immigration,” she said.

Under Canada’s 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan, 5,500 admission spaces have been allocated to the permanent Rural Community Immigration Program.

The government said the initiative would complement its broader efforts to stabilise immigration admissions, reduce the temporary resident population and retain skilled workers already living and contributing to communities across the country.

What the Programme Has Achieved

IRCC said the permanent programme builds on the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, which operated between 2019 and 2024, and the Rural Community Immigration Pilot, introduced in 2025.

More than 2,800 employers participated in the earlier Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, resulting in the admission of over 12,500 candidates and their family members into smaller and rural communities across Canada.

The department said preliminary results from the current programme showed that newcomers had helped address labour shortages in key sectors, including healthcare, education, sales and services, in 2025 and 2026.

Between January 2025 and August 2026, participating communities vetted and designated more than 1,950 trusted employers experiencing persistent labour shortages that could not be filled locally.

These employers subsequently issued more than 4,700 job offers and community recommendations.

The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Sean Fraser, said the programme had helped businesses in Pictou County retain workers while encouraging newcomers to establish permanent roots in the community.

“We’ve seen the difference this program makes here in Pictou County. It’s helping local businesses keep workers they need, people who’ve become our neighbours and friends, and want to build their lives here.

“We’re one of 14 communities that have helped make this pilot work. Now we’re making it permanent, so businesses can count on it when they can’t fill jobs locally, and these families can keep calling our community home,” Fraser said.

Similarly, the Secretary of State for Rural Development, Buckley Belanger, said the programme recognised the distinct labour needs of rural, northern and remote communities.

He noted that strategic immigration pathways could help address workforce shortages in areas where available Canadian workers could not fill existing vacancies.

The Chief Executive Officer of Pictou County Partnership, Jason Guidry, also said the programme had strengthened the local workforce, supported business growth and helped welcome new residents into the community.

Armed bandits have killed 12 members of a family after setting their residence ablaze during a night attack on Gidan Taba village in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

The attackers reportedly stormed the residence of Mallam Muhammadu Sani on Saturday night and ordered the occupants to open the door.

However, when the family members refused to open the door, apparently in an attempt to avoid being abducted, the gunmen allegedly set the house on fire, leaving the occupants trapped and unable to escape.

Daily Trust reported that the Chairman of Maradun Local Government Area, Sanusi Ahmed Dosara, confirmed the incident, describing it as heartbreaking.

The victims reportedly included the family head, his wives and young children.

Several other residents were also said to have been abducted during the attack.

However, local vigilantes reportedly engaged the bandits in a gun battle, leading to the rescue of some of the abducted residents.

The 12 victims were buried on Sunday in accordance with Islamic rites, with the local government chairman leading the funeral prayers.

The attack has heightened concerns over the worsening security situation in Zamfara State, as residents called for urgent intervention by security agencies to prevent further killings and kidnappings.

Security sources have suggested that the attack may have been a reprisal against the head of the family, who was reportedly an active member of the community’s vigilante group.

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has accused officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) of preventing him from welcoming and congratulating Nigeria’s victorious Under-17 women’s football team, the Flamingos, at the Abuja airport.

Obi made the allegation in a statement issued on Monday, titled, “A New Dimension of Toxic Politics in Nigeria,” in which he expressed concern over what he described as the growing politicisation of national affairs and intolerance of political differences.

According to the former Anambra State governor, he arrived at the Abuja airport at about 7 am on Monday to catch a flight to Enugu when he encountered the Flamingos, who had just returned from Morocco after winning the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

He said he instructed his Protocol Officer, Jackie Wayas, to find out whether he could approach the players to congratulate them on their historic achievement.

However, he alleged that he was subsequently informed that NFF officials had rejected his request and warned against allowing him to approach the team.

Obi described the incident as another disturbing example of how political differences were allegedly being allowed to interfere with ordinary national interactions.

He recalled a similar experience on March 25, 2025, during a World Cup qualifying match in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, when he was allegedly prevented from greeting Nigerian players after the match.

He said that although the state governor had earlier welcomed him at the VIP stand, officials later stopped him from approaching the players, claiming they could lose their jobs if they allowed him to do so.

Expressing disappointment over the incidents, Obi said Nigeria was increasingly being consumed by what he described as toxic politics, warning that the trend was undermining national unity and mutual respect.

He called for a country where political affiliations would not determine how citizens interact, stressing the need to prioritise shared humanity, mutual respect and national cohesion.

The NFF had yet to publicly respond to Obi’s allegation as of the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, the Flamingos returned to Abuja on Monday following their 2-1 victory over Japan in Saturday’s final in Morocco, securing Nigeria’s first-ever FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup title.

The victory also made Nigeria the first African country to win the competition.