Montréal Newcomer Office - BINAM
Created in 2016, BINAM is part of the continuity of Montréal’s desire to act differently and innovate so that newcomers who choose Montréal as their home – whatever their immigration status or the length of their stay – would have, upon their arrival, a variety of means at their disposal to feel like they belong, put down their roots and become full-fledged Montrealers.
The BINAM was created to reduce inequality, the high unemployment rate, people holding precarious jobs, unfulfilling career paths and barriers to social promotion that hold back the processes of identifying oneself with society.
To help create this feeling of belonging, the BINAM is also collaborating to carry out projects whose aim is to change perceptions, help people master social codes, counter social isolation, promote social and community services, manage personal, familial and professional difficulties – all of which factor into helping people integrate into the workplace and keep their jobs.
In order to help newcomers participate fully in life in Montréal, the BINAM mobilizes and accompanies area resources so that they can offer services that help newcomers get access to the job market and find fulfilling work that corresponds to their skills, qualifications and aspirations.
BINAM’s strategy to accelerate the integration process for newcomers and maximize their fullest participation in community life in Montréal is fourfold:
1. Making Montréal an examplary city : This refers to the municipal organization, to the city’s role as an employer of immigrants and members of diversity, as a service provider and contractor. The city wants to develop an open, safe and inclusive municipal environment that takes the specific needs of immigrants and people from diverse backgrounds into account.
2. Making Montréal a welcoming city of integration : This involves the ecosystem of key players who work to welcome and integrate newcomers into society, including local, regional and institutional organizations. These initiatives aim to accelerate the integration process for newcomers through cohesive and accessible services, in close collaboration with a number of community organizations.
3. Making Montréal an inclusive city : This addresses Montréal as a host society – workers, employers and society at large – and emphasizes the importance of developing Montrealers’ inclusiveness skills to enhance our integration performance, particularly at work.
4. Making Montréal a responsible and committed city : This aims to offer municipal services without discrimination or fear and to implement mechanisms to increase protection against abuse and criminal acts for people whose immigration status is precarious.
The BINAM’s activity is described in more detail in the Plan d’action Montréal inclusive 2018-2021 which sets out 30 action items to be achieved by 2020 that address issues faced by the city. These issues include economic integration and employment, inclusiveness, access to services, coordination and optimization of services, support for people whose immigration status is precarious and access to housing.
The BINAM favours a transversal approach and acts in partnership and complementarity with city stakeholders as well as a number of local, regional and institutional partners.
Its actions target newcomers in Montréal with a variety of immigration statuses:
- permanent residents;
- international students;
- temporary workers ;
- refugees ;
- Migrants whose immigration status is precarious, including asylum seekers.
