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What are Local Immigration Partnerships?
Local Immigration Partnerships (LIPs) are funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to develop and implement plans to improve immigrant and refugee settlement and integration. LIPs are community planning tables that include community agencies and institutions representing local government, settlement and community agencies, education, business, parks, recreation and culture, policing, libraries, volunteerism, and others.
Since 2008, LIPs in Canada convene to support community-level research and planning to create more welcoming and inclusive communities where newcomers are connected and have opportunities to participate economically, socially, politically, and culturally.
Currently there are 86 LIPs across Canada and about 18 in BC. In April 2020, Langley Community Services Society received five-year funding to establish and coordinate the Langley LIP, one of the country’s newest LIPs. The Langley LIP work is guided by a core LIP Membership Council, and a 12+ member Immigrant Advisory Council. These two committees are supported by four Working Groups.
Working Groups:
- Ensuring Settlement Success
- Building Belonging
- Developing Community Capacity
- Supporting Meaningful Employment
If you are interested in becoming involved as a member of the LIP, the Immigrant Advisory Council or any of these working groups, please contact Ana Marie, Langley LIP Coordinator by phone: 236-427-4830 or by email: apanczel@lcss.ca.
What is the Vision and Mission of the Langley LIP?
Langley LIP Vision
Langley is a truly welcoming and inclusive community where everyone belongs.
Langley LIP Mission
The Langley LIP fosters belonging and inclusion through the development of collaborative relationships, responsive approaches, and practical resources to respond to the changing needs of Langley and all its citizens.
Langley LIP Motto
You belong in Langley.
Why does Langley need a LIP?
Over the last decades the immigrant population of the City and Township of Langley has grown significantly. According to Census 2021 data, the City had the highest immigrant population growth rate in BC at 48.5%; the Township had the 2nd highest at 32.9%.
Since 2016, the City and the Township have received nearly 10 new residents per day. And, although the pandemic has impacted the number of immigrants welcomed by Canada in 2020, in October, the federal government released its updated 2023 – 2025 Immigration Levels Plan in which it aims to welcome the most immigrants in its history:
Immigration Levels Plan
In 2019-20 in response to this ongoing growth, Langley Community Services Society applied to and was successful in obtaining funding from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to establish a Local Immigration Partnership.
What will the Langley LIP do?
The Langley LIP will work to prepare the community to truly welcome and include new immigrants and refugees. The LIP will do this by:
- enhancing stakeholder and community knowledge of the contributions and assets newcomers bring and the challenges they face.
- identifying and sharing current immigrant and refugee needs and service gaps.
- coordinating program and service delivery to avoid duplication of efforts and to fill service gaps.
- assisting all stakeholders to adapt programming, processes and policies to better meet the needs of our newest residents and to ensure successful integration and inclusion within the community
It is important to note that LIPs do not provide services to newcomers; supporting immigrant and refugee to settle in the community is the work of immigrant and other community service providers.
How do I become involved?
To learn more about the work of the Langley LIP and how to become involved, contact
Ana Marie Panczel
Program Coordinator
apanczel@lcss.ca or at 236-427-4830