an alliance of university, community, and government partners dedicated to fostering welcoming communities and promoting the integration of immigrants and minorities across Canada
The Media Roundup provides links to recent and archived articles, in both English and French, on immigration and diversity appearing in the national and local news. Some international content is also included. Articles are updated weekly.
Toronto Star – Banning Refugees from Assistance Could Cause Chaos, Hardship, Critics Say
Francisco Rico-Martinez does not know how his refugee shelters and others in the city could manage if a Greater Toronto MP gets his way in opening the door to exclude refugees from accessing social assistance. Charitable groups like Rico-Martinez’ FCJ Refugee Centre and local municipalities do have plenty to worry about as Pickering-Scarborough East MP Corneliu Chisu’s private member bill, C-585, winds its way for second reading scheduled for Tuesday in the House of Commons. And the plan already has a vocal supporter in the Conservative majority government: Canada’s Immigration Minister Chris Alexander. “By making changes to the system, our government is ensuring immigration is protected from those who are seeking to abuse taxpayer-funded health care, welfare, and other social benefits,” Alexander told the Parliament last week during the Question Period. “We will continue to look at legislation in this place from the government, from private members, that goes in that direction to ensure a generous system gives value for taxpayers’ dollars.”
Toronto Star – Canada’s Refugee Sponsorship Program Under Threat
Bureaucratic delays and federal cuts to health coverage are hurting the ability of churches and other groups to bring in refugees under Canada’s renowned private refugee sponsorship program, says a new study. Based on a survey of the 85 private groups that have formal refugee sponsorship agreements with Ottawa, recent policy changes appear to threaten the vitality of the sponsorship program launched in 1978 amid an outpouring of public concern over the Southeast Asian “boat people” crisis. Groups were concerned with waits that stretch into years, and “processing hurdles that jeopardize their … future engagement in resettlement work,” said the survey conducted by the advocacy group Citizens for Public Justice. […] Respondents said their top concern was the long waiting period and processing time required after a sponsorship application is submitted. The success of a private sponsorship, they said, depends on keeping the sponsoring group engaged.
CBC – Jim Prentice Says Foreign Workers to Top 1st Meeting with PM
Alberta Premier Jim Prentice says labour policy, including temporary foreign workers, will top his agenda when he gets a chance to meet with Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Prentice served for years in Harper’s cabinet and wants to meet with the prime minister after dealing with provincial issues, including a byelection to get himself a seat in the Alberta legislature. The federal government introduced new rules in June to limit the number of foreign workers that large-and medium-sized companies are permitted to hire. The changes are aimed at ensuring Canadians are first in line for jobs. Prentice said the new rules are making it very difficult for some businesses to fill jobs and hopes to work with Harper on a solution. […] Prentice said Alberta has accounted for almost all of Canada’s job growth yet receives only two per cent of the immigration nominees. […] He said the answer might involve increasing the number of immigration nominees that are available or some sort of program to lure other Canadians to Alberta to fill the vacancies.
Toronto Star – Electronic Tracking of Immigrants, Refugees More Cost-Effective: Study
Electronic monitoring could be a useful alternative to locking up some immigrants and refugee claimants, says an internal study by Canada’s border agency. The research report, obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act, looks at the use of wired ankle bracelets, voice-recognition systems and other tracking tools in seven countries. It suggests electronic monitoring can save money and reduce the administrative burden of managing detainees in holding cells. Several of the countries in the study use technological means to track criminal offenders, but only Britain and the United States have applied the techniques to immigration. The Canada Border Services Agency study, prompted by recommendations of a Commons committee, could lay the groundwork for a Canadian pilot project to test the technologies.
Sudbury Star – Sudbury Fails to Impress Immigrants: Report
Greater Sudbury has become less attractive to immigrants in the past four years, according to a new economic report by the Conference Board of Canada. In fact, the city earned a D grade in the report, City Magnets III: Benchmarking the Attractiveness of 50 Canadian Cities. The report looked at the appeal of cities to migrants when it comes to 43 indicators grouped into seven categories, such as economy, environment, housing and education. Contributing author Alan Arcand, principal economist and associate director of the Centre for Municipal Studies at the board, said Sudbury did do well in the environment and housing categories. “It’s a relatively affordable place to live,” Arcand said. However, he noted the same issues that hurt Greater Sudbury in the board’s 2010 report remain, such as not appealing to immigrants and quality of life. […] Arcand said major cities in Western Canada dominated the report due to the big surge in commodities markets there, including oil and natural gas in recent years. He said cities like Greater Sudbury that did not do so well in 2010, consequently, got left behind.
Ottawa Citizen – Government Invalidating Passports of Canadians Who Joined Extremist Groups
The government has begun invalidating the passports of Canadians who have left the country to join extremist groups in Syria and Iraq, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander revealed in an interview on Friday. The minister told the National Post his department had also revoked the passports of several Canadians who had not yet left the country but who had intended to travel to the volatile region to enlist as foreign fighters. He would not disclose the number of passports Citizenship and Immigration Canada had revoked over the conflict but said there were “multiple cases.” […] The minister said the department was making use of existing regulations that allow officials to revoke or deny a passport when there is evidence a Canadian intends to use it to travel abroad to commit crimes, in this case terrorism. […] The new citizenship law enacted in June also gave the government the authority to revoke Canadian citizenship from dual nationals convicted of terrorism. The power has not yet been put to use but the minister said it sends a message that those who join groups like ISIL will pay a heavy price.
