As you are aware that the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has cut $ 53 million from the Settlement sector budget for 2011-2012 fiscal year, $ 43 million of those cuts are in Ontario, $ 18 million in Toronto alone. These cuts come in different forms. Some agencies were defunded completely while others received 10-50 % reductions in their funds. In total, 35 agencies were defunded completely, 15 of them in Greater Toronto Area.
CIC did not approve Afghan Association of Ontario (AAO) proposal for funding for 2011-2013 for the first time since 1986 when AAO first start offering these services. This means that AAO will not be receiving any funds from CIC to continue its ISAP program for newcomers after March 31, 2011. Since AAO does not have any other funding stream to support the ISAP program, therefore, we regret to inform you that AAO will be ending its ISAP program as of March 31, 2011. AAO will not be able to offer the Settlement Services to newcomers after that date.